PICTURES: Tipperary man remembered with memorial charity walk

The Michael Sutton Charity Memorial Walk took place last Sunday 16 August, in Monicknew, a scenic woodland and recreation area in the Slieve Bloom Mountains on the border of counties Laois and Offaly.

​The walk is named after Michael (better known as “Mick”) Sutton, a County Tipperary native who passed away in 2020. Mick was an avid hiker and organised dozens of charity fundraising walks throughout his lifetime.

His sister Josephine Phelan, who lives in Camross, County Laois has carried on that tradition.

Sunday was a fun day out for the entire family, particularly given there was a buggy-friendly walk complete with face-painting for younger participants!

The first walk was the Bocadh Lodge Loop, the second walk was the Riverside Walk and the third walk was a buggy-friendly walk complete with face painting in the Community Park in Camross.

Walkers and non-walkers alike then gathered in The Camross Inn (Bergin’s) where there was a BBQ and music from 2pm, kindly supported by Pauline Bergin and the Bergin family.

All proceeds raised are going towards a number of projects in Mzuzu, Malawi.

Lusekelo School of Computing

These projects include developing further education opportunities at the Lusekelo School of Computing, a school which provides education in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), at a nominal fee, to vulnerable young people in northern Malawi. This school was established by Ungweru - an NGO set up by Bishop John Ryan from Holycross, County Tipperary.

Bishop Ryan is a member of St Patrick's Missionary Society (The Kiltegan Fathers) and has spent over 40 years in northern Malawi.

Walk organiser Josephine Phelan has been travelling to Malawi almost every year since 2014 and the funds she has raised in that time have supported the refurbishment of the Lusekelo School of Computing. Proceeds have also gone towards the purchase of computers, photocopiers and textbooks for the school.

Malawi Heart to Hand Project

Funds raised will also be donated to the Malawi Heart to Hand Project which is a long-established charity which has worked with people in need in Malawi, also through Bishop John Ryan.

Heart to Hand volunteers have developed a carpentry workshop and have gifted the people of Mzuzu a sewing room converted from a 40ft container which was sent out in 2025. Volunteers from Heart to Hand have travelled to Malawi on many occasions to roof schools in remote villages.

All of the individuals from all of the initiatives referenced above cover their own expenses when visiting Malawi.