All-Ireland winning captains set for Galway charity event

It will easily set a new world record – up to seventy senior All-Ireland winning hurling and Gaelic football captains, whose success spans eight decades, will descend on Galway this week for a unique walk for charity.

The All-Ireland winning captains are one of the highlights of what will be the greatest gathering of past and present GAA legends ever when hundreds of the all-time greats of Gaelic football, hurling and camogie take part in the 100,000 Steps for Cormac.

The three-day event, in memory of the late Cormac Connolly, is in aid of Pieta House and takes place next weekend from Thursday to Saturday, August 28-30.

Brian Smith, Meath’s All-Ireland football captain in 1949, and Jimmy Finn, who led the Tipperary hurlers to glory in 1951, are among the earliest captains to agree to take part.

Last year’s senior All-Ireland winning hurling captain, Clare’s Pat Donnellan, is also on board for the event which highlights the work of suicide prevention charity, Pieta House.

The captains’ gathering, on Saturday week is the third leg and culmination of the three-day monumental event that aims to raise awareness, as well as €100,000 for Pieta House.

The driving force behind the event, Cormac’s uncle, Galway All-Ireland winning captain in 1980, Joe Connolly, explains that exactly 100 All-Ireland winning captains are alive today.

Of these, seven from Kilkenny – including current manager Brain Cody and six of the panel – as well as three from the current Dublin football squad and Michael Murphy from Donegal, are unable to attend due to commitments on the field of play.

“As of now, we have between 60 and 70 All-Ireland captains who are coming. It is absolutely unbelievable. A gathering of all living All-Ireland winning captains has never been done in the history of the GAA. I got a letter from Tommy Wall, 1958 Tipperary winning captain who was on the millennium team and he said, ‘It should be great’. Everyone is really looking forward to it,” said Joe Connolly.

Saturday’s Walk with the Captains starts at 1pm in Athenry, through to Oranmore, on to Castlegar and finishing at Ballybrit Racecourse.

Fittingly, legendary RTÉ broadcaster, Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh will be at Galway Racecourse to MC and interview on the night. Ollie Turner, of Galway Bay FM, and Jim Carney of the Tuam Herald, will be involved in interviews over the three nights.

The event begins next Thursday, August 28 at 1pm with the Walk with the Clubs starting in Portumna and heading to Killimor, Mullagh and finishing at Kiltormer pitch.

The special guests are representatives from all Galway GAA clubs that have won All-Ireland titles including seven hurling clubs, three football clubs, five camogie clubs and one ladies football.

The organisers hope that representatives from every GAA club in Galway will participate in this leg, and will wear their club colours to show support for the work being done by Pieta House, to help those struggling with suicidal thoughts and mental health difficulties, a problem that afflicts all parishes.

The final leg of the first day’s walk, from Mullagh to Kiltormer, will be particularly poignant. Cormac Connolly won medals at U16 and minor for Castlegar and he played against Kiltormer in the final; and so Castlegar and Kiltormer will join forces on the day and walk the last leg together.

Cormac died of an inoperable brain tumour at the age of 24 on July 25, 2011, but his family chose to support Pieta House in this event, to help prevent other families from going through the pain and suffering of losing a loved one.

The Walk with Champions is on Friday, August 29 at 1pm from St Thomas’ pitch in Peterswell to Loughrea, on to Sarsfields and from Bullaun to New Inn. Pupils at New Inn primary school are dancing 100,000 steps for Cormac to raise funds for the event.

The special guests on this ‘champions day’ are representatives of Galway’s All-Ireland winning  senior teams including six football, three hurling, two camogie and one ladies football from 1956 to 2013. The 94 Galway All-Stars from 1971 onwards in all GAA codes have been invited to walk on Friday, too.

Joe Connolly stresses that all clubs – not just GAA clubs – are welcome, and encouraged to participate, be they bridge clubs or rugby clubs or whatever.

“It is open to everyone. It is built around the captains but we want everyone to take part. The GAA isn’t in competition with other sports – the competition is drink and drugs and mental health,” he says.

For more information on how to get involved on make a donation:
Visit 100kstephsforCormac.com or visit the Facebook page.
You can also register to do the walk here or make a donation here or call Joe Burke on 085 7388908 or email Cormac100ksteps@yahoo.ie