Irish dancing sensations ‘The Gardiner Brothers’ today launched the 17th annual Aware Harbour2Harbour Walk which will take place on St. Patrick’s Day, Sunday 17th March. An official event partner of St. Patrick’s Festival, the charity expects over 2,500 enthusiastic walkers to take on the 26km challenge, with the option of starting from Howth Harbour or Dun Laoghaire Harbour. Suitable for most fitness levels, the walk will take participants along the scenic Dublin Bay route with a ‘Halfway Hooley’ hosted at sponsor Dublin Port Company’s historic Pumphouse. Registration is now open at www.aware.ie/harbour2harbour at a cost of €25 per person.

The Gardiner Brothers, Michael and Matthew commented: “We are honoured to be a part of this year's Harbour2Harbour Walk with Aware. Mental health is such an extremely important thing to talk about in this day and age, and we want to encourage people to be conscious of their own mental health as well as those around them. We have always been big into sports and exercise, especially with our dancing, and we find that it contributes greatly not only to our physical health but also our mental health. We encourage everyone to take part in this incredible Harbour2Harbour Walk on St. Patrick's Day which will be a fantastic way to start everyone's day!”

The Aware Harbour2Harbour Walk is a flagship fundraising event for Aware, the national charity supporting people impacted by depression and bipolar disorder. This unique event will help raise vital funds to ensure the organisation can continue to deliver its free support, education and information services to individuals and communities nationwide.

Irish dancing sensations The Gardiner Brothers Michael and Matthew pictured at the launch of the 17th annual Aware Harbour2Harbour Walk which takes place on St. Patrick’s Day, Sunday 17th March Photo: Conor McCabe

This is the second year that the event has been included as part of St. Patrick’s Festival One City, One Festival Programme. Stephen Butterly, Head of Fundraising at Aware commented: “We are delighted to be included as an official event partner of St. Patrick’s Festival again this year. 2023 was the most successful Aware Harbour2Harbour Walk to date with over 2,500 people coming together to proudly demonstrate their support for mental health and raise money for Aware’s services. The Aware Harbour2Harbour Walk offers something a little bit different and it’s a great way to get family and friends together to celebrate our national holiday in a fun and healthy way. With the support of St. Patrick’s Festival, we are hopeful that we will see even more people taking part this year!”

Dublin Port Company has generously sponsored the event since 2014, hosting a ‘Halfway Hooley’ for participants midway along the route. Speaking about their involvement, Barry O’Connell, Chief Executive at Dublin Port Company commented: “We are proud to once again sponsor the Aware Harbour2Harbour Walk, an event that promotes both physical activity and mental health awareness. At Dublin Port Company, we recognise the importance of supporting initiatives that contribute to the wellbeing of our community. Hosting the 'Halfway Hooley' is our way of welcoming and encouraging participants as they embark on this significant journey along the Dublin Bay route.”

All participants will receive a t-shirt when they arrive for the event and are encouraged to wear these as they take part to raise awareness and show their support for mental health. People can also join the conversation online, using the hashtag #WeAreAware when sharing on social media.

Broadcaster, author and activist Emer O’Neill today launched the 16th annual Aware Harbour2Harbour Walk which will take place on St. Patrick’s Day, Friday 17th March from 10.30 am. Over 2,000 enthusiastic walkers are expected to take on the 26km challenge, with the option of starting from Howth Harbour or Dun Laoghaire Harbour. Suitable for most fitness levels, the walk will take participants along the scenic Dublin Bay route with a ‘Halfway Hooley’ hosted at sponsor Dublin Port Company’s historic Pumphouse.

An official event of the St Patrick’s Day One City Festival Programme, the Aware Harbour2Harbour Walk is now open for registration at www.aware.ie/harbour2harbour at a cost of €25 per person.

Ambassador Emer O’Neill commented: “I am delighted to be involved with the Aware Harbour2Harbour Walk. Having experienced depression myself, I know how important it is for us to open up the conversation around mental health. The services provided by organisations like Aware are invaluable to anyone experiencing depression or bipolar disorder and I would encourage anyone struggling with their mental health to reach out for support. We all know how beneficial fresh air and exercise is for both your physical and mental health, so I hope to see lots of people from around Dublin joining us on St Patrick’s Day to raise both awareness and vital funds for Aware.”

Emer O'Neil broadcaster, author and activist pictured at Dublin Port Company at the launch of the 16th annual Aware Harbour2Harbour Walk which takes place on St. Patrick’s Day, Friday 17th March Photo: Andres Poveda

The Aware Harbour2Harbour Walk is a flagship fundraising event for Aware, the national charity supporting people impacted by depression and bipolar disorder. This event will help raise vital funds to ensure the organisation can continue to deliver its free support, education and information services to individuals and communities nationwide.

Stephen Butterly, Head of Fundraising at Aware commented: “The Aware Harbour2Harbour Walk is a lovely way to get friends and family together to celebrate St Patrick’s Day in a fun and healthy way, while demonstrating your support for mental health. Each year Aware directly supports up to 50,000 people via our support and education services. All proceeds from this event will go towards these services, helping to ensure that people across Ireland impacted by depression and bipolar disorder know they are not alone and are provided with the knowledge and tools they need to improve their wellbeing. We are incredibly grateful for the generous sponsorship from Dublin Port Company who have supported this event since 2014.”

All participants will receive a t-shirt when they arrive for the event and are encouraged to wear these as they take part to raise awareness and show their support for mental health. People can also join the conversation online, using the hashtag #WeAreAware when sharing on social media.

Speaking about Dublin Port’s involvement, Barry O’Connell, Chief Executive at Dublin Port Company commented: “Dublin Port is delighted to be partnering with Aware and supporting the annual Harbour2Harbour Walk. It’s a great family day out and the perfect way to see Dublin’s harbours, river and city, all while raising funds for Aware’s vital services. The ‘Halfway Hooley’, which this year is being hosted at our Pumphouse, will provide a welcome and celebratory mid-way break for all those taking part. We look forward to welcoming the thousands of walkers to the Port and showcasing the beauty of Dublin Bay.”

Aware Support Services include Support & Self Care Groups and a Support Line and Support Mail service, both of which operate 365 days a year. Aware also delivers a range of positive mental health programmes to adults and senior cycle students nationwide, designed to build resilience and empower people with the skills and tools to manage their mental health. All Aware services are now available in-person and in virtual environments.