Limerick man walking from Amsterdam to Ardagh for good cause

A WEST Limerick man domiciled in Amsterdam is pitching in to help St Kieran’s GAA club’s new field development.

David Egan, from Carrigkerry, has pledged to walk the distance from the Dutch capital to Ardagh – 1,104kms – between St Brigid’s Day on February 1 and Father’s Day in late June. He is also donating €1 per km. A Go Fund Me page has been set up by St Kieran’s for others to donate.

David attended St Ita’s in Newcastle West and University of Limerick before leaving Ireland in 1991 for graduate school in the US. He spent 12 years there between New York and San Diego. He moved to Amsterdam in 2003 where he now runs a software company but Limerick will always be home.

“The longer you live abroad the more you appreciate how special the place you came from is, and how big a part it played in making you who you are. Whenever I’m at home I see what a hugely positive thing the GAA still is in rural Ireland – all the kids running around in the summer with their Cúl Camp backpacks,” said David, whose father Tommy and his brothers played hurling for St Kieran’s back in the 30s and 40s.

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“I remember my father going to the 1973 All-Ireland final. I was behind the Limerick goal in Semple Stadium the day John Fenton scored that incredible goal but after the many years of heartache I was lucky enough to be in the Hogan Stand on that epic day in 2018,” said David.

This is his third year of what has now become known as 1K by Father’s Day.

“The idea is to walk the equivalent of the distance to somewhere in Ireland for charity, starting on St Brigid’s Day on February 1 and completing it by Father’s Day in late June.

“It was inspired by Runninghome.ie which was started by an Irish woman, Aisling Demaison, in France, in 2021,” said David, who walked 1112kms (distance to Carrigkerry) in 2021 for Mid-West Simon Community in Limerick. Last year, David walked for Blood Bike South in Cork as a friend of his from school is heavily involved in that.

David will be posting updates on his journey on the Go Fund Me page (https://gofund.me/c5649124) He says walking 10km early in the morning is a great start to the day. All in St Kieran’s GAA club are very appreciative of David’s efforts and are backing him all the way as he helps them towards their €100k new pitch development target.