A FORMER GAA footballer and winner of three All-Ireland medals put his best foot forward yesterday to raise money for marginalised Irish people living in Britain.
Alan Brogan, who played for Dublin and hails from a well-known footballing family, was joined by Fer Paul Ward from the Dublin diocese for the 5Km fundraising walk in the Phoenix Park, which started off from the Papal Cross.
The initiative, ‘Walk with Hope’, is supporting the work of the Irish Chaplaincy in London as well as raising awareness of the plight of Irish emigrants.
Last week in London, two groups of six set off from Sacred Heart Church in Kilburn to walk nine miles via Wormwood Scrubs prison and on to the Irish Embassy.
There they were greeted by the Irish Ambassador to the UK, Adrian O’Neill.
Belfast-born Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster Paul McAleenan also led another walk from Westminster Cathedral to Westminster Abbey.
"For over 60 years the Chaplaincy has reached out to the dispossessed Irish who emigrated to the UK for employment and who today exist on the margins: the elderly Irish, Travellers and prisoners," Mr Brogan said.
"Many of my generation were born to Irish emigrants in the UK and we owe it to all of them to demonstrate our support at this vulnerable time in their lives.”
A special song for the event, 500 Miles with Hope, a re-make of The Proclaimers classic, has been recorded by, amongst others, the children of Holy Family Catholic Primary School in west London.
The pupils themselves will be walking a combined total of 500 miles (804 kilometres) around the playground.
Yesterday was the final day of the initiative which began last Wednesday.
The Chaplaincy was established by the Bishops’ Conference in 1957 as the Irish Emigrant Chaplaincy. Today, it provides an outreach service which includes regular home and hospital visits, advocating on people's behalf with organisations such as health and social care providers, and supporting those who want to move back to Ireland.
