Man raises thousands for guide dogs charity with 50km walk in North Leitrim

Pat McTigue hands over a cheque for €3400 to the Irish Guide Dog association on behalf of himself and Bailey

placeholder image — Pat McTigue hands over a cheque for €3400 to the Irish Guide Dog association on behalf of himself and Bailey

Kilargue’s Pat McTigue walks 50km with his dog Bailey, smashing his expectations to support the life-changing work of Irish Guide Dogs

A North Leitrim man has raised a remarkable €4,000 for the Irish Guide Dogs charity after completing a 50km walk across the county last month.

Pat McTigue said he was “ecstatic” with the response to the fundraiser: “It has been way above where I thought,” said the Kilargue man who was hoping maybe for €2,000.

Pat undertook the walk with the support of his Samoyed-Husky mix Bailey, covering the distance from Drumkeeran to Dromahair and on to Manorhamilton over the course of a weekend.

Although Bailey needed to take breaks along the way, Pat pushed ahead, often joined by supporters for stretches of the journey.

When Bailey got tired, Pat continued on his own before being joined by supporters along the way. “It was a nice group there to meet me—friends, family, sponsors, and all that,” he said.

"It's something that not many people seem to realise—it costs an awful lot of money to train just one dog, you know what I mean? It's not just a few euro, it's a lot of money,” said the Kilargue man, who was inspired to raise funds after witnessing the incredible work these animals do.

This walk had been in the making for some time, but Pat had to delay it following a health scare a few years ago.

“I suffered a stroke three years ago,” he shared. “So I’ve had my own challenges, but I’m happy it went well. I had a good support team.”

He also paid tribute to those who helped make the fundraiser a success: “The local radio, Ocean FM, were very good to me, as were the businesses in Manorhamilton and Glenfarne, and people I know from all over — they all rallied around me.”

The Irish Guide Dogs charity trains dogs to support people who are blind or vision impaired, as well as families of children with autism. Pat’s contribution will help fund the continued training and care of these vital companions.