Roots through Routes: A Cork fitness route that connects us with our heritage

Not long ago, someone asked me a simple question on a walk through Ballincollig: “What’s that? And pointed towards what I now know is the lime kiln.

I paused.

I’ve walked past that lime kiln most of my life. I’ve trained near it. Run by it. Passed it in a hurry more times than I can count. And yet, if I’m honest, I’d never given it much thought.

That question stayed with me.

How many landmarks do we pass every day without knowing their story? How many places hold history, industry, struggle, creativity - and we move by them on autopilot?

That moment was the spark behind Roots Through Routes, a community initiative from my Ballincollig-based company, My Mental Fitness, that invites people to walk, jog or run a 5.75km loop through eight historic landmarks in the town - many located on the grounds of Gunpowder Mills.

The idea is simple: move your body while reconnecting with your place.

But the real goal runs deeper.

In the past few years through my business, I’ve worked with people who want to change their lives - physically, mentally, emotionally. Some are returning to exercise after years away. Some are navigating burnout. Some are rebuilding after difficult periods. Many are simply trying to feel steady again.

And one theme comes up again and again: disconnection- from their bodies, their community, and from themselves.

I understand that feeling personally.

There was a time in my own life when I was deeply disconnected. I struggled with addiction. My world became smaller and narrower. My sense of purpose faded.

What helped me turn things around wasn’t a single dramatic moment - it was small, consistent actions. Moving my body. Seeking support. Rebuilding structure. Learning to sit with discomfort rather than escape it.

That experience shaped how I work today.

My Mental Fitness isn’t just personal training. It’s built on the belief physical movement and mental wellbeing are inseparable. With a background in psychotherapy, I approach fitness not as punishment or aesthetics, but as regulation - as a way to help people build resilience, self-trust and stability.

But recovery - from addiction, burnout, or simply from feeling lost - doesn’t happen in isolation. We heal in connection.

That’s why Roots Through Routes is not a bootcamp, a competition, or a challenge with a leaderboard. It’s a weekly meet-up. A shared start and finish point. A chance to say hello. A reason to show up.

Ballincollig has a rich story. The Gunpowder Mills once powered an entire industry. The old coach house - now home to Starbucks - once served as an ammunition depot. The building we now know as the Talbot Hotel Cork, formerly the Oriel House Hotel, was built shortly after the mills opened. In 1834, its owner Sir Thomas Tobin added a large ‘oriel’ window so that natural light would pour into a studio space for his wife, who was a painter.

And the lime kiln - the landmark that sparked this entire initiative - stands as a reminder of the area’s 18th- and 19th-century industrial, agricultural and construction history.

These stone ovens burned limestone to create quicklime, essential for improving soil, and for making mortar and whitewash - materials that quite literally helped build and sustain the community around it.

These aren’t just trivia points. They are reminders that this town has always been evolving. Always welcoming new workers, new families, new stories.

Today, Ballincollig continues to grow. People arrive from other counties, other countries, other chapters of life. And while growth is positive, it can also feel isolating. I’ve spoken to newcomers who told me they wanted to meet people, to feel part of something - but didn’t know where to start.

Walking is a powerful starting point.

It removes pressure. There’s no need for perfect fitness. No expectation to be fast. You can chat, or you can walk quietly. You can jog ahead and circle back. The loop is accessible, safe, and mapped out with support from the Ballincollig Heritage Society to ensure it highlights meaningful sites.

Movement regulates the nervous system. Shared experience builds belonging. Add local history into the mix, and something interesting happens: people start to see the place differently. When you know the story of the lime kiln, you don’t just pass it - you notice it. When you know a coffee shop once stored ammunition, you feel the layers of time beneath your feet.

Everyone in Ballincollig knows the Oriel - but not everyone knows its name comes from the large window added in 1834 to bring natural light into a studio space for a painter. It’s a small detail that quietly reshapes how we see a familiar landmark.

And when you meet the same faces at the start and finish of a loop each week, acquaintances slowly become familiar. Familiar becomes friendship. That’s the real purpose.

In my work, I often say lasting change does not come from intensity - it comes from consistency, from showing up on ordinary Tuesdays. Roots Through Routes reflects that philosophy. It’s steady. It’s simple. It’s repeatable.

It also sends a message: you don’t need to radically transform yourself to belong here. You just need to take a step.

For the month of March, we’ve partnered with The Sauna Snugg Ballincollig to offer participants discounts on sauna and hot-cold therapy sessions. It’s another way to blend physical recovery with social connection - to create experiences good for body and mind.

Ultimately, this initiative isn’t about fitness metrics. It’s about integration. It’s about helping someone who is new to Ballincollig feel less alone. It’s about encouraging long-time residents to see their town with fresh eyes. It’s about reminding people their wellbeing is shaped not just by what they do in the gym, but by how connected they feel to where they live.

That question about the lime kiln taught me something simple but powerful: we often overlook what’s right in front of us.

Sometimes the path to feeling grounded isn’t somewhere far away. Sometimes it’s a 5.75km loop around home.

• Colin Gayer is the owner of My Mental Fitness, Ballincollig. See www.mymentalfitness.ie or email: Colin@mymentalfitness.ie
• Instagram: mymentalfitness.ie
• Phone: 085 184 3415