Charity walk to Mayo pilgrimage site for Mary's Meals to take place
Now in its 14th year, Mary’s Meals Ireland’s own take on the Walk to Knock, called ‘Step By Step to Feed The Next Child’, will see groups of walkers from all over Ireland, including Mayo, set off on August 7 from eight starting points across the country, and they will all converge in Knock, Co Mayo on August 15.
This year, we have a new route walking from Mayo, headed by long time supporter of Mary’s Meals, Ger Silke. Ger will also be climbing Croagh Patrick on the third day of the walk. Explaining what he loves most about the walk, Ger says: “I walk for Mary’s Meals because it is so volunteer dependent, operates a simple, effective model and uses such a high proportion of its funds on direct charity operations.”
From humble beginnings in 2013, the Step By Step Walk has become the highlight of the Mary’s Meals fundraising calendar, attracting young and not so young supporters to don their walking shoes and walk the length and breadth of Ireland, all to help feed the next child waiting for Mary’s Meals.
During 2025, Mary’s Meals achieved the milestone of providing school meals for more than 3 million children in over 6,400 schools across 16 countries and, in total, served more than 400 million meals through its community-led school feeding programmes. In the recently published impact report, the encouraging new data shows how daily school meals helped to reduce hunger, improve concentration, and keep children in class while supporting local economies.
Executive Director of Mary’s Meals Ireland, Patricia Friel, says: “Through Step by Step to Feed the Next Child, people across Ireland are proving that small acts of kindness, multiplied thousands of times, can transform lives. Whether you walk one kilometre or two hundred, every step, every donation brings us closer to our vision that every child receives one daily meal in their place of education. We would love you to support us this year.”
To learn more about the Mary’s Meals walk, including how to take part or donate, please visit here.