A Crossmaglen man who walked the length of Ireland in memory of his late father has now committed to walking the breadth of the country for ‘Part Two’ of his effort.
Stephen Hughes walked a whopping 548km from Malin Head to Mizen Head in August 2024 in loving memory of his father, Pat all while raising money for Southern Area Hospice Services [Evora Hospice] who had cared for his dad when he became seriously ill after suffering a devastating relapse with oesophageal cancer in 2021.
Described by both his mum and late dad, Pat, as “a little piece of heaven on earth” the hospice provided “unbelievable” care to both he and his wife – who stayed by his side 24/7 in his final days.
Despite being admitted to hospital on St Stephen’s Day 2021, Pat’s willpower ensured he was able to attend his youngest son’s wedding on December 30.
Speaking to Armagh I previously, Stephen recalled: “He had a fabulous day and the photos we have of him from that day we will always treasure.
“The next few months were extremely tough on him. He still remained upbeat despite everything. He was the most amazing man and he never gave up until the very end.”
And, even when the hospice informed the family that it was “hour-to-hour” Pat actually walked out of the hospice – with his walker – to go home on July 7, 2022.
His last wish was to be able to die at home, surrounded by his family. That wish was granted to him and he passed in the early hours of Monday, July 11, 2022.
Following Pat’s passing and in taking inspiration from his “unstoppable” nature, Stephen undertook the mammoth trek across Ireland which took him a total of 17 days to complete.
Related: Crossmaglen man walking length of Ireland in memory of dad he looked upon as ‘unstoppable’
It was the second time he had taken on a fundraising challenge for the hospice having raised £3,250 in December 2022 by climbing 12 peaks in 12 weeks ending on Croagh Patrick on December 12, 2022 – his dad’s birthday.
This July 8, Stephen will be stepping into his third effort in Pat’s memory by walking the breadth of the country – and while he sees it as ‘Part Two’ in walking the length and breadth of the country – with his first challenge in mind, he will essentially completing the length, breadth and height trifecta.
Moving from West to East from Ballyloughane Beach in Galway to Sandymount Beach in Dublin, Stephen will walk 210km… with the hope of completing it in “the fastest time possible”.
Said Stephen: “Once again my hope is to raise funds for the Southern Area Hospice and my GoFundMe page will be directly to them.
“As you know the work they do is nothing short of amazing and we realised that when dad availed of their services in July 2022 so anything you donate will be much appreciated.”
Stephen has launched a GoFundMe page with a target of £500 and – at the time of writing – he has almost reached his half way mark.
You can make a donation to Stephen’s GoFundMe page by clicking here.
