Left: Members of the 3rd Scouts in training for The Big Walk on the Outer Ring Road.

On Sunday the 28th of August next, the people of Waterford will have a unique opportunity to explore the new Waterford City Outer Ring Road by taking part in “The Big Walk”. The event is being organised by the De La Salle Scout Group in association with Waterford City Council with the aim of having over 5000 of Waterford’s citizens take part in an official walk of the new road before it is opened to traffic in early September.

Children and families are especially welcome and there is an excellent array of entertainment confirmed including live music from Waterford’s top marching bands, face painting and other street entertainers as well as fun kid’s competitions. There will be stalls selling an array of plants, flowers and other goods, refreshment centres and a scout camp kitchen. There will also be displays, activities and entertainment provided by scouts from across the Waterford Scout County. A blessing of the dogs by Waterford’s Father Columbanus which is expected to be very popular will take place near the roundabout on the Old Tramore Road at 5.15pm on the day. Finally, the register of the first citizens of Waterford to officially walk the route will be taken at the Big Walk marquee near the roundabout on the Old Tramore Road. This register will be presented to the mayor and the city council for preservation with the city’s historical records.

Above: The new bridge carrying the Lacken Road over the Outer Ring Road.

There is no charge for taking part in this event but any donations from the on route entertainment will go towards the development fund of the De La Salle Scout Group. The Group are planning to develop a new Scout Centre at a green field site at Gracedieu in the north west suburbs of Waterford City in 2008. It is hoped that the people of Waterford City will turn out in their thousands to see their city from an angle from which they never saw it before, take part in a piece of their city’s history and support one of Waterford’s oldest and finest youth organisations. Our Big Walk page will have more details as they are available.