Westmeath among counties participating in 'Walk In Our Shoes 2026' protest
On Sunday 27 September the people of Westmeath will be joining counties across Ireland in a series of coordinated one-mile walks as part of a nationwide call for a family court system that is transparent, trauma-informed and trustworthy.
The walks are set to kick off at 11 am on 27 September. Twenty six county coordinators representing the 26 counties are preparing walks that will begin at designated meeting points in the county town and finish at the local courthouse.
In Westmeath participants are asked to convene at the Primary Care Office on the Harbour Road in Mullingar and walk as one to the Mullingar Courthouse.
A National Walk will follow in Dublin on Wednesday, 30 September. Participants will gather outside the Four Courts at 11.30am before departing at 12 noon and walking silently to Leinster House.
The route will take participants from the Four Courts across O’Connell Bridge, through College Green and Nassau Street, and along Kildare Street to Leinster House.
Walk In Our Shoes 2026 is a peaceful, non-partisan grassroots campaign bringing together mothers, fathers, grandparents, adult children and members of the wider public who believe families deserve a court system they can trust.
Participants are invited to wear black and carry a pair of children’s shoes.
The shoes represent the children whose futures are being decided in courtrooms they may never see, the children whose voices may not be properly heard and whose lives can be profoundly affected by the decisions made on their behalf.
Convenor of Walk In Our Shoes 2026, Anna Kavanagh spoke on the upcoming walk.
“Behind every case number, every report and every court order is a child whose life may be changed forever.
“We are walking for a family court system that listens before it decides, places children’s safety first and treats every family with fairness, dignity and humanity.
“Some people will walk because of what they and their children have experienced. Others will walk because they believe no family should have to endure the same experience in the future.
“This is not about mothers against fathers, nor is it directed against any individual judge, professional or organisation. It is about strengthening accountability, restoring public confidence and ensuring that every child’s voice truly matters.”
The campaign is asking the Government, the Minister for Justice and members of the Oireachtas to listen to families and ensure that meaningful transparency, accountability and trauma-informed practice are placed at the heart of family court reform.
It is also inviting journalists, elected representatives, professionals and members of the public to engage with the experiences of families and support the creation of a family justice system worthy of the trust placed in it.
The walks will be quiet, respectful and dignified. There will be no banners, placards or political signage, and no photography or filming during the walks in order to protect the privacy of those taking part.
No registration is required. Members of the public are invited simply to attend their nearest county walk, wear black if possible and carry a pair of children’s shoes.
Details of individual county meeting points and routes are available through the Walk In Our Shoes 2026 website and social-media pages.
A press conference will be held at Buswells Hotel, Dublin, at 5.00pm on Wednesday, 23 September 2026. Members of the national and local media are invited to attend.