Local heroes promote WaterfordWaterford County Council teamed up with local sporting legends Sean Kelly and John Treacy to launch www.welcome waterford.com at last weekend's Holiday World Show in Dublin.
The website, which is part of Waterford County Council’s tourism strategy, contains details of the inaugural John Treacy 10-mile Classic and 5k Fun Run, on May 17th in the athlete’s hometown of Villierstown, and August’s Sean Kelly Tour of Waterford cycle race. The site is part of a drive to spur holidaymakers to give the sunny southeast a try.
Coast-to-coast walkMake a note in your diary that the annual coast-to-coast walk in aid of Dublin Simon Community takes place in September. The 290km route – which works out at just over 30km a day – is based on John Mulligan's book Following in the Footsteps of the Four Famous Flannerys. Leaving Dublin, it follows the Royal Canal Way to the Shannon at Termonbarry, then continues along back roads and lanes to the coast at Newport, in Co Mayo. Accommodation is in hotels, and all meals are provided along the way. See www.fourflannerys.com or www.dubsimon.ie.
RockhoundingYou've heard of bloodhounds, wolfhounds and dachshunds, but what about rockhounds? Rockhounding is the recreational collecting of rocks or mineral specimens from their natural environment. Getting started is easy: we're surrounded by the stuff, and the Irish Geological Association is an all-Ireland society that runs field trips at home and abroad, offers lectures around Ireland and holds short courses and other events of geological interest. See www.geology.ie.
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