Co Roscommon man completes charity walk on 90th birthday

A Co Roscommon man has marked his 90th birthday by completing a 165km fundraising walk along the National Famine Way.

Jim Callery set out from the National Famine Museum at Strokestown Park on 25 September and arrived in Dublin earlier today.

So far, he has raised more than €50,000 for charities working with immigrants.

"I am retracing the footsteps of what we call the 1,490 tenants who walked this way from Strokestown Park in 1847," Mr Callery explained. "The first draft to go to Liverpool and out on the famine ships.

"The mistakes that were made in 1845, 1846, up into the 1850s are being repeated. Have we gone anywhere in the last nearly 200 years? People aren't running mad out of places for fun," Mr Callery added.

Mr Callery, who founded the National Famine Museum at Strokestown Park, was inspired to do the walk a month ago while listening to the radio.

"I was sitting in the car driving alone and I was listening to Irish news," he said.

"And if you wanted something depressing, you got it, boy. From houses being burned here, to the war in Ukraine. The whole of Israel and what's going on in it.

"It's a world problem. Why are all those people running everywhere? What are they running from? And a lot of them losing their lives. That has to be dealt with," Mr Callery added.

The walk finished at the Famine Statues at Custom House Quay in Dublin.

Mr Callery was joined by his wife Adeline and his family including his four great-grandchilden.

Also there to greet him at the end of his walk were two of Jim Callery's older sisters Eileen (96) and Nanette (94).

"Those who have come into the country need help. I'm sure we needed it when we went to America," Ms Nanette Callery said.

"It's a great thing to keep the Irish famine alive. It's important that we shouldn't forget it but we should put it to use in helping and understanding others," Ms Callery added.

Mr Callery said his next big adventure was going to bed and resting but he hopes his charity walk will make some difference.

"This is like throwing a teaspoon full of water into the Atlantic," he said.

"But I hope that it will give hope to the people most in need, expecially women and children," he added.