Click here for day by day photo gallery of the march

On the 30th December 2002 the commemoration re-enactment march of O’Sullivan Beara began from Dunboy Castle in Castletownbere, Co. Cork and was scheduled to arrive in Leitrim village 16 days later on the 14th January 2003. Through sheer determination and hard toil the group reached their destination in flying spirits. All along the route the group received a huge, warm and entertaining welcome from the locals in each area and although they were sore and tired on many occasions they enjoyed the party atmosphere that awaited them at each destination. We estimate that over 10,000 people were involved in the event either directly or indirectly throughout the 11 counties. Each day there was a back-up/support vehicle following the group which carried all the luggage and acted as a safety vehicle for traffic coming behind the group and also for those who got fatigued during the day.

RTÉ followed the entire march filming it a documentary intended for national and international viewing later on in the year. Local press and radio stations covered the march on a daily basis which added to the momentum to the journey as the days passed. There were live links with various radio stations, linking up with the group on a daily basis throughout the 11 counties. Radio 1 also did extensive coverage on the march by having a live link on the morning of the launch and a number of slots on '5/7 Live' also. The Examiner, the Irish Times, the Irish Field and the Independent covered the event on several occasions throughout the 16 days, along with all the regional papers on the way. This gave the march extensive support. Walking World Ireland and Country Walking Magazine (UK based) are doing an extensive feature on the march and on the Greenway as a whole. This will be out in the UK for April. An event such as this was all we could have hoped for and more, from an advertising point of view. Before the march had begun we had organised extensive media coverage but as the walk progressed it took on a momentum all of it’s own.

This was due to firstly its historic significance and secondly due to the level of enthusiasm and support shown by all involved. It was quite evident how much the 70 community groups involved have embraced the overall development and concept of the Greenway and how this first initative has kick started and aroused their imaginations and further cemented their commitment to the project. Max Fell, a 17 year old from Beara, completed the entire march on horseback along with Darragh O’Sullivan, a 21 year old from Beara, who was the first O’Sullivan since O’Sullivan Beara to walk the route in full. This was a huge accomplishment for the two young men. Michael Ed O’Sullivan, at the tender age of 64 completed the full 16 day march and was so overjoyed with the event he couldn’t find words to describe his delight when they finally arrived at the ruin of O’Rourkes castle in Leitrim.

The clan chieftain carried with him two wooden hand carved staffs. Hand crafted brass bands with the name of each town and village we would pass through, as well as bands for each clan name associated with the area and the march, were made to be placed on the ceremonial staffs. Each time the march passed through a town or village the relavant named bands were placed on the staffs by a local representative and/or the local clan chieftain. This happened on a daily basis if not twice daily.