Cork students take on five-day 'Butter Road Camino' charity challenge 

It has been called the Butter Road Camino: 12 transition year students are taking on a 117km trek along a historic route from Kerry to Cork city, aiming to raise €100,000 for two worthy causes.

The group from Millstreet Community School in North Cork began the route in Listowel in Co Kerry, and are following the historic Old Butter Road to Cork city, completing the journey over five days.

The route will take them from Listowel through Castleisland, Rathmore, Millstreet, Tower, Kerry Pike, and finishing at The Butter Museum in Cork City on Monday.

The group hopes to raise €100,000 in funds for Breakthrough Cancer Research and Mellon Educate, which works to improve educational opportunities for children in South Africa. The funds raised will be divided equally between the two charities.

“Completing the 117km Butter Road Camino will be a seminal event in the lives of these transition year students,” said Millstreet Community School deputy principal Frances Moynihan.

Multiple challenges

“The terrain itself, complete with multiple challenging climbs and descents, embodies the spirit of adventure and courage of the students, of whom we are immensely proud.

“In raising funds for the Niall Mellon Foundation and Breakthrough Cancer Research, they are spanning county, national, and international boundaries, which is very much in line with the philosophy of welcome and sanctuary in our school.”

Generations of farmers across Kerry and Cork brought their butter to market along the Butter Road. In the 19th century, Cork was the largest exporter of butter in the world.

The students have set a fundraising target of €100,000 through their Camino. They have already raised more than €11,000 of their target.

Next March, the students are planning to travel to Cape Town in South Africa with the Mellon Projects to help construct and renovate school buildings in South African townships.

The students said: “This project gives us an incredible opportunity to do so many things we have never done before and go places we’ve not been before, all the while helping others less fortunate than us. 

"By taking on this challenge, we are not carrying butter, but we are carrying the chance to fight cancer and build schools.”

Donations can be made through the online Butter Road Camino iDonate fundraiser at  https://idonate.ie/fundraiser/butterroadcamino.