What made the Loughcrew Firewalk so Good?
When we were asked to lead a Firewalk at Loughcrew, to say we were very excited, is an understatement.
For those of you who don’t know, Loughcrew is a site of considerable historical importance in Ireland. It is the site of megalithic burial grounds dating back to approximately 3500 and 3300 BC, situated near the summit of Sliabh na Caillí and on surrounding hills and valleys. Passage tombs on the site are aligned with the Equinox sunrise.
As you would imagine, being allowed to Firewalk on such a site would be out of the question. However, the good folks at the Loughcrew Megalithic Centre agreed that their land could be used. They were kind enough to let us drop of the wood and grass/turf a few days earlier too. This really helped us out. We had events in Wicklow before and after the Loughcrew Firewalk.
Why was there a Firewalk at Loughcrew?
We were asked by Dorothy, Pauline and Vicky to provide a Charity Firewalk. They wanted to raise money for the Irish Guide Dogs for the Disabled.
Dogs for the Disabled aim is to improve the lives of children and adults living with physical disabilities in Ireland. They are comprised mainly of volunteers and receive no government funding to provide their services.
The assistance dogs are specially trained to assist physically disabled children and adults to carry out a range of practical tasks in order to achieve greater independence. Every dog is trained to help with simple everyday tasks such as opening/closing doors, picking up dropped items, emptying the washing machine, sending for help or even helping a child with severe walking difficulties to walk with greater ease and balance. Each dog is trained to cater for the needs of the specific client to enable them to live life with greater independence.
What a night!
The Team had picked Sunday 29th October for the Firewalk at Loughcrew. It was aptly named, Samhain Firewalk Fundraiser, tying in nicely with the time of year (Halloween) and the ancient Celtic tradition.
We arrived to a beautiful day and set to work building the fire. There was a real buzz about the place. Lots of curious campers and caravaners were out watching and asking question. One English man, in his 70’s chatted away with us. In days gone by he tended Firewalks at Glastonbury. He approved of our “very professional set-up”. We also got chatting with a family from Cork; and it turned out the Mum of the family was taking part. They had planned to be in the area and when they saw there was a Firewalk, she booked a place for herself.
We lit the fire as the sun went down. It was a dry evening and not a drop of wind. The moon soon came out and lit up the star covered sky. It was beautiful.
That night, 21 people took part in the Firewalk. Dorothy and her Guide Dog Emma were among the first to walk. Emma kept her paws off the fire though! Most people walked a few times too. The energy was amazing and everyone was absolutely brilliant. So friendly, up for a laugh and super dedicated to raising money.
Check out this video where Meath Daily TV interviewed Pauline and her son Luke, right after she did the Firewalk.
It was a pleasure to be there and we thank you for the bottom of our hearts for letting us provide this Charity Firewalk for you.