Santa Dash along the Canal

If you were out and about on the Canal on Saturday last, you may have spotted three festive Santas doing a 5k and spreading a little festive cheer as they went along.

They were in fact Mavis Murray, Donna Marie Woods, and Deirdre Moran Carberry who has signed up to do the virtual Liverpool Santa Dash.

Donna explains that as her dad Richard hails from Liverpool originally, and as a family they had planned to travel there this year to participate, but alas Covid-19 scuppered those plans.

“We were in Liverpool last year to celebrate his retirement and the next morning we woke up and saw thousands of Santas running down the streets, and it really was a sight to behold,” Donna told the Westmeath Examiner. “I asked Dad about it and he told me the Liverpool Santa Dash was a big deal, it raised lots of money for charity and every year people from all over the world took part in it.

“So we had planned to take part ourselves this year but of course the pandemic put a stop to that, but the organisers decided to hold a virtual event instead. The three of us signed up for it and they posted us our Santa costumes and a Santa medal,” she continues.

“On Saturday we took to the Canal and completed the 5k, and we had great fun. We had a few sweets in our pockets and it brought a smile to people faces, it really got everyone in the festive spirit,” she says.

"And we’ve since heard that loads of people around Mullingar had travelled to Liverpool in previous years for the famous Santa dash, and we hope to go ourselves for real next year.”

Donna adds that as the trio were about to embark on their walk, a robin that lives in her garden posed for the photo. “The robin lives at my gate and he’s has become a real pet. He loves to come and have a chat with you, it doesn’t matter if you’re dressed as Santa or not. And he absolutely loves having his photo taken,” she laughs.