"Following in the Footsteps of the Four Famous Flannerys" by John Mulligan

- Would you like to re-trace these historical steps with the author John Mulligan whilst raising vital funds for Dublin Simon Community? If so then see below.

NOTE that there is a dedicated website for this book www.fourflannerys.com 

"In the early 1860s four young men left their family’s smallholding in the west of Ireland and set out to walk the 120 miles to Dublin. This was the first leg of a journey that brought them to New Zealand, where they found themselves at the centre of an extraordinary story.

Nearly a hundred and fifty years later the author set out to walk the same route, and in doing so he found time to consider the story of the four Flannerys and their achievements. This book is not just his story, but theirs as well, and even by modern day standards it is an amazing tale.

Following in the Footsteps of the Four Famous Flannerys details the author’s trek across Ireland, first tracing the Royal Canal Way from Dublin to the river Shannon, and then continuing onwards to the West coast at Newport in County Mayo. The book will be of interest to anyone who wants to walk either the Royal Canal Way or the longer coast-to-coast route; it is a detailed description of the topography and terrain, interspersed with interesting snippets of  canal and railway history. As he walks, the author unfolds the incredible story of four farm boys fleeing poverty in post-famine Ireland, overcoming almost insurmountable odds to follow their dream."

The author is John Mulligan.  His previous book, "Dancing on the Waves" interspersed an account of a walk along the Grand Canal with reflections about Romania's orphans, and his experiences as a volunteer in Romania.  In common with the previous book, all of the royalties and profits from the sale of this book are being donated to the Aurelia Trust, a non-profit Irish NGO that works to improve the lives of abandoned and at-risk children in Eastern Europe.

"Following in the Footsteps of the Four Famous Flannerys" by John Mulligan,  ISBN 978-1-906017-00-2, pp180, €11.00, published January 2007

Do you want to Walk the Walk?

Would you like to re-trace these historical steps with the author John Mulligan whilst raising vital funds for Dublin Simon Community?

The timetable for the walk has now been finalised; we leave Dublin on Saturday 8th September 2007 and we will arrive in Newport on Sunday 16th, a total of nine days on the road and averaging around twenty miles each day. Each morning John will brief us on the days walk ahead, providing detailed information and maps.

Leaving Dublin, the route takes us initially along the banks of the Royal Canal through Leixlip, Maynooth, Kilcock, Enfield, Hill of Down, Mullingar, Ballynacargy, Abbeyshrule, Ballymahon, Kilashee, and leaving the canal at Cloondara where the waterway joins the Shannon. We continue along side roads and lanes through Termonbarry, Scramogue, Strokestown, Ballinameen, Clooncunny, Monasteraden, Boleysillagh, Brogher, Dernicarta, Puntabeg, Bracklagh, Charlestown, Lislaughna, Cloonfinish, Ballanacurra, Dromada Gore, Graffy, Cullin, Tempall Maol, Foxford, Pontoon and Glenhest, finishing at the west coast at Newport. And in true Dublin Simon Community style we will end with a Gala night!

Accommodation has been arranged in 3* & 4* hotels along the route, with transport to bring us to and from the start/finish points each day. Baggage will be carried forward each day, meaning that walkers will just have to carry a day pack with rainwear and lunch etc. Breakfast, lunch and dinner will all be included.

This will be a unique trip through a beautiful part of Ireland. Join the Simon Community fundraiser and become one of the small number of people who have walked coast-to-coast in Ireland. Discover a real sense of achievement when you arrive in Newport at the end of the week, having walked all the way from Dublin.

For more information,  contact Simon or Click here to download a registration form (Microsoft Word format) -