Northern Ireland

Fortnight-long walk around Northern Ireland ends with 'Big Lunch' celebrations

Rory Mullan and Patricia Fleming at the Derry Girls mural during the two-week walk around Northern Ireland
Rory Mullan and Patricia Fleming at the Derry Girls mural during the two-week walk around Northern Ireland Rory Mullan and Patricia Fleming at the Derry Girls mural during the two-week walk around Northern Ireland

A fortnight-long walk around Northern Ireland to meet some of its most inspirational people has finished with a weekend of celebration.

Two volunteers were picked for their community work to be the 'Big Lunch' community walkers for 2019, as part of a project supported by the National Lottery aiming to bring people closer together.

Rory Mullan and Patricia Fleming set off on May 17 and their packed schedule including meeting the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall in Lisnaskea, visiting a GAA club in Ballygalget doing cross-community work on dementia awareness, getting a lesson in lacemaking from a Newry community group that helps combat social isolation, meeting 14-year-old Cookstown schoolgirl Cara Monaghan who uses her musical talents for peace projects in troubled regions around the world, and going out on a boat with the dedicated volunteers of Foyle Search and Rescue.

During a weekend of Big Lunch events across the north, Rory, from Derry, held his in Brooke Park in the city while Patricia, from Four Winds, hosted hers at Women’stec, the north Belfast charity where she works.

Rory said he invited all his neighbours to his event and "ended up meeting 11 different families I’d not spoken to before. That simply would not have happened if I had not taken part in the Big Lunch."

An idea from the Eden Project, the Big Lunch sees more than six million people take to their streets, gardens and neighbourhoods each year for a few hours of community, friendship and fun.