One of the west of Ireland's best known charity activists estimates that he will have walked some 10,000 miles in 30 years, when he returns from his latest endeavour, a Bay to Bay Walk from Waterford to Galway, this week. Ronan Scully is asking everyone to join him for the final 5km of his mammoth walk to raise funds for some worthy charities.
Former Operation Transformation contestant Scully is hoping to raise more than €10,000 for three good causes, including the charity for which he works, Self Help Africa, as he undertakes his 350km hike from Ardmore Bay in Waterford to his home town and Galway Bay, ending in a special 5km walk on Saturday at 4pm from Claddagh Hall along the Prom to the kicking wall and back to Claddagh Hall.
He will be joined along the way by friends and supporters, who are celebrating Mr Scully's work with charity over the past 27 years.
The Bay to Bay Walk, which started in Waterford last Saturday morning, takes Ronan Scully and his entourage through Waterford, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Offaly, Westmeath, and Roscommon, as they wind their way to Galway for the final leg of the marathon journey with a special 5km walk along the Promenade.
Mr Scully, father of two adopted Ethiopian daughters, Mia (12 ) and Sophie (nine ), says that he has always been driven to work for charity since he first experienced the hardship and suffering of others while volunteering with Mother Teresa in Calcutta, back in 1989.
Marathon runs
Since then he has run various marathons, including one at the North Pole with renowned ultra marathon runner Richard Donovan. He has also undertaken more than 60 charity walks, including 10 trips on the Camino in Spain and France, and has hosted dozens of other charity walks in Ireland and overseas.
Last year he took part in a similar Bay to Bay walk from Dingle in Kerry to Galway Bay. He also undertook a marathon canal walk in the midlands, ran the Uganda mini-marathon, and walked 420km from Courtown in Wexford to Kinsale in Cork with his good friend Martin Ryan.
The charities that will benefit from Ronan Scully's Bay to Bay Walk are Self Help Africa, Rosabel Rooms in partnership with The Irish Hospice Foundation, and the Galway Rape Crisis Centre. Donations can be made by contacting Ronan Scully at www.selfhelpafrica.org or any of the charities involved.
