An Cosantóir

28 | Castlebar Walking Festival BY CAPT BRENDAN MCDONALD (RDF) Castlebar has hosted its 4 Day International Walking festival for over forty years. The walks cater for all tastes and talents with challenges from 10K walks to the more challenging 40K walk and the 30K ramble. The walks/ramble started each morning at 0830 hrs and finished around 1530hrs. The organising committee have gone to great lengths to show the areas of beauty on the lesser known tracks and trails. This year there were approx 1,000 participants with all walks of life ranging from schoolchil- dren completing the 10K walks to the more ex- perienced tackling the longer routes. This event holds a particular attraction for the military with many countries using it as training exer- cise for the Nijmegen 4 day walking festival. Castlebar always has a large continental influx principally from the northern European coun- tries such as Demark, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden. Each year sees a variety of armed forces taking part in uniform and this year was no exception with Dutch, German and Swedish soldiers marching in uniform. While the festival has still has participants from 1st and 6th Inf Bn's such as Paddy McManus and William Wal- lace, it has been a while since there has been any DF personnel in uniform taking part. Some International Military walkers join their Irish DF colleagues This year 54 Reserve Cavalry Squadron had 3 participants in uniform on the 30K Ramble. These included, Sgt John Ham- rock, Sgt Rowena Gillespie and Capt Brendan McDonald. Apart from some blisters and tender toes the participation was a great experience. Weather was great for the most part with Capt Brendan McDonald, Sgt Rowena Gillespie and Sgt John Hamrock only some rain on the Sunday. Routes were varied and included some new routes. Day four saw the Irish contin- gent assist in the carrying of a stretcher, as they came to the assistance of a casualty who had fallen leaving a bad leg wound. Sgts Hamrock and Gillespie quickly came to his attention and with the help of military colleagues the casualty was stretchered to transport to take him to hospital. The event concluded with a very appropriate 'Blister Ball' that night. It was a fitting end to a challenging few days in which many military and civil- ian friends and from home and abroad got to meet and enjoy the countryside around Castle- bar. The organisers are quiet champions of a very popular tourist event who should be congratulated and encouraged. If you are moderately fit and can walk for 5-6 hours for four days then you will enjoy it. For further information the Castle- bar Walking Festival commit- tee have a website at: www.castlebar4dayswalks.com An Cosantóir September 2011

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