It's the county with the smallest population in Ireland, but right now Leitrim folk are walking tall around the world - and raking in badly-needed cash for the GAA.
From Manorhamilton to Melbourne, Dromahair to Dubai and Cloone to Chicago they’re stepping it out to help fund teams in the county back home.
And they’re running and jogging in the freezing cold of Manhattan and under the hot Florida sun as part of the county’s 50-mile challenge.
Leitrim folk shook off the excess turkey and stout on January 1 and took the hills and highways across Ireland, the UK, the US, Australia, Spain, Denmark, Canada, Austria, the Middle East - and even the Dominican Republic.
For the past 30 days all the walks and trails back home have seen fundraisers trekking in rain, sleet and snow among the drumlins from dawn till dusk.
The January challenge finishes on Monday and on Sunday a staggering €130,000 had been raised - and the euros, sterling and dollars are still flowing in.
One organiser Mike Feeney, originally from Killargue, but a long-time resident of Blackrock, Co Dublin said: “It’s incredible. Leitrim folk at home and abroad took up the call to arms to raise money.
“They’re walking all over the world, across several continents. It would make you very proud to be from Leitrim.”
Those who signed up were given Leitrim beanie hats, but such was the uptake that 1,700 were snapped up in days.
A staggering 1,200 took up the challenge in the county alone - from a total population of just over 32,000.
Belhavel man Joe Walpole is trekking around the lake near his home while brother Larry is bravely wearing his Leitrim colours in his Mayo base.
Another Killargue man, John McNiffe is leading the charge in Liverpool, rounding up local GAA players there to hit the streets around Anfield every weekend.
Donnacha Lynch is bearing up under the hot Australian summer sun while Michelle Cullen is pounding the pavements around Florida.
Hundreds are walking across NY with Seamus Clarke - the Big Apple-based publican who sponsors the county team - to the forefront. It took a blizzard to force them to postpone a walk today.
Leitrim, under new manager Andy Moran, tried hard in their opening league against neighbours Cavan today - but lost 0-8 to 0-12 in Carrick-on-Shannon.
The GAA, the local council and tourism chiefs now see this as a huge opportunity to showcase Leitrim - for too long the forgotten county - as a beautiful place to visit or to live.
Leitrim GAA said: “The potential reach to the Leitrim diaspora at home and abroad and the opportunity to promote the county as a destination for visiting, relocating to or starting a business in Leitrim gives the council a ready-made opportunity to assist in having the awareness raised across the world.
“ Leitrim has a significant offering in terms of quality of life for those living here or indeed those members of the diaspora who may want to consider a future return home.”
There are currently 200 jobs for various skilled workers available in the tiny county.
The tourism website www.enjoyleitrim.com/walks shows the huge range and quality trails through forests, along rivers, the canal and around stunning lakes.
Such is the interest in relocating there that the council and local enterprise office are to host a virtual jobs fair on February 23rd. For further details visit localenterprise.ie/leitrim.
To donate to the 50-mile GAA challenge, visit leitrimgaa.ie/challenge/
