New camino walk to take place through Tyrone countryside

A NEW walking experience is coming to Tyrone this month and it promises to be as good for the soul as it is for the legs.

Local mental health charity Friends2Talk, in partnership with Coalisland Community Hub, has unveiled the eagerly anticipated Coalisland Camino – a fully signposted 26.4 km pilgrimage trail – with its first official walk taking place on Sunday, August 17.

Far more than just a long-distance hike, the local Camino has been designed as a spiritual and therapeutic journey. Starting from St Patrick’s Hall in the heart of Coalisland, participants will follow a scenic circular route through tranquil waterways, quiet rural lanes, and a string of spiritual and historic landmarks before looping back to where they began.

To make the journey even more memorable, multiple stamp stations will be dotted along the trail, allowing participants to collect Camino-style credentials – a keepsake that charts their progress from start to finish.

On selected walks, qualified counsellors will join the route, offering the opportunity to ‘walk and talk’ for those who feel like opening up.

The £20 registration fee includes a route map and unique pilgrim passport, with all proceeds going directly to Friends2Talk.

Looking ahead, organisers have big ambitions: “We hope to become a Camino Society Ireland authentic pilgrim route within Ireland, the first in Ulster.

“This will enable people to complete the first 25km of the Celtic Camino on our route and then recommencing their Pilgrimage in A Corúna, Spain, and from there to Santiago de Compostela.”

For full details, visit www.coalislandcamino.com, call 07871 800 551, or email info@coalislandcamino.com.