Community Peace Walkers go to Omagh, 2002
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The Press reported:
Community walk to embrace commitment to peace
MEMBERS of the Warrington community are walking to the island of Ireland in the name of peace.
Over the last nine years, following the Warrington bombing in 1993, the communities of Warrington and the island of Ireland have shown themselves to be at the forefront of initiatives to build better understanding between divided peoples.
Fundraising schemes have supported good causes both sides of the Irish Sea and the ‘Community Peace Walk’, which begins on Tuesday 7th May 2002 (10am) and will last until Sunday 12th May, is a symbolic act of Warrington’s commitment to peace.
This year, the walk will break new ground when the Mayor and Mayoress of Warrington, Cllr Jeff and Mrs Julie Richards, accompanies the team of Warrington Community Peace Walkers – the first civic leaders ever to do so – along most of the route.
Following special services at Warrington Methodist Mission, Bold Street (10am) and the Bridge Street memorial (10.20am), the walkers will embark on the 250 mile trek.
For the first time ever, the Mayor and Mayoress of Vale Royal will also be on hand to greet the party and present them will a special commemorative scroll to emphasise the commitment to peace and reconciliation across Cheshire.
The party, which also includes the Mayor of Warrington’s Chaplain, the Rev Michael Raynor, and Warrington Ireland Reconciliation Enterprise (WIRE) representative, Methodist, the Rev Stephen Kingsnorth, will also be greeted by the Mayor and Consort of Ellesmere Port and Neston on their journey to Holyhead for the ferry to Dun Laoghaire.
Once on the island of Ireland the walkers will make their way to Dublin, where they will be greeted by two of Dublin’s top churchmen, for the Roman Catholic Church His Eminence Cardinal Desmond Connell and head of the Church of
Ireland The Most Reverend Walton Empey.
The walkers will then walk through Dundalk and Monaghan eventually arriving in Omagh, a town with which Warrington is building a special relationship. Another landmark this year will be a special service being held for the walkers by the Omagh Churches Forum, where the Rev Kingsnorth will speak.
The Rev Stephen Kingsnorth, said: "The Community Peace Walk sees everyday folk with different traditions and lives come together and share their experiences with the aim of bringing about greater tolerance and understanding. Time and again, leaders of the communities and faiths in Warrington and the island of Ireland, have stood alongside these walkers in support and solidarity. This year, we are as determined as ever to continue to promote better understanding between communities and embrace a commitment to peace."
The Mayor of Warrington, Cllr Jeff Richards, an avid walker himself, is looking forward to putting on his trainers and embarking on the challenge, which will be one of his final duties as the borough’s First Citizen. He said: "This year’s walk will break new ground and we are delighted that other civic, church and community leaders on both sides of the Irish Sea are actively committed to peace and reconciliation. I’m pleased that the Mayoress and I will become the first to walk in the Community Peace Walk and complete our mayoral year in such an important and meaningful way."
Over the years, steps for peace have been taken to Warrington from Manchester and Liverpool and across the border on the island of Ireland.
Walkers have been greeted and entertained in civic headquarters in Dublin and Belfast, Derry, Donegal and Dun Laoghaire. Banners have been carried through various areas of the island of Ireland, as well as through Manchester and along Hope Street between the Protestant and Roman Catholic cathedrals of Liverpool.
Warrington-based van hire company, A1, has also sponsored a special van to transport the civic party and their luggage.
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