Murray mints a walk-and-talk concept

Are John Murray’s listeners the fittest radio devotees in Ireland? They are definitely the most active as hundreds of Murray’s RTE radio 1 listeners have joined the broadcaster on six pre-show walks since the morning show (9 to 10am) started last September.

Are John Murray’s listeners the fittest radio devotees in Ireland? They are definitely the most active as hundreds of Murray’s RTE radio 1 listeners have joined the broadcaster on six pre-show walks since the morning show (9 to 10am) started last September.
This Sunday evening at 7.30pm people are invited to gather at the Bandstand for what Murray calls a “sunset stroll” on the Cliff Walk in Kilkee. The walk will finish at the Diamond Rocks Café in the West End.
Then on Monday morning The John Murray Show will broadcast live from The Stella Maris Hotel, Kilkee in the first of a week of outside broadcasts and walks, which will culminate at the fleadh in Cavan on Friday.
“We’re calling it a Week of Walks. It starts in Clare and it ends in Cavan on Friday at the fleadh. We have a route worked out through Clare, Tipperary, Offaly, Roscommon and Cavan. We’ll be doing four walks in the course of the week,” Murray told The Clare Champion.
Anybody interested in joining the walk on Sunday evening will be made very welcome. John Murray says that his taste for walking developed in tandem with his radio show.
“I’m an urban walker in that I walk in the evenings but I haven’t done any serious walking. The walking idea developed when the show started last September. We thought it would be nice to have some tie in with the show,” he explained.
“We came up with the idea of having our own regular walks. We had our first walk in Longford. It has taken off big time and the interest in it is huge and we’ve had hundreds on each walk. As I said I’m a keen walker but I wouldn’t be climbing mountains every week!” he laughed.
Up to 500 people joined the show’s most recent walk in Aughrim, although the average turnout is about 300. Aside from getting a good walk in, John Murray enjoys the opportunity to talk with his fellow walkers around Ireland.
“I spend most of my time in a studio in Dublin and to be honest it’s the only chance I get to really meet people, who are listening to the show, outside of Dublin. It’s also a great way of finding out what’s happening around the country. What you realise very quickly is that the daily diet of mixed messages you get is only a part of the story. There’s so much happening in different parts of Ireland in different communities, it’s heartening,” he said.
“You meet individuals who in one way or the other have been touched by what’s going on. You meet parents whose young son or daughter have travelled to Australia or Canada. The real success of the walks are the number of ordinary people who come along. You get a great sense of what’s going on around Ireland. That’s why through broadcasting the walks, it’s something that you don’t hear too often,” John Murray reflected.
His mother Nancy (nee Clear) is from Parteen while Murray is well acquainted with Lahinch and Liscannor.
“The great thing about this is we’re going to go through a good swathe of Ireland. The broadcasting I enjoy most is when we’re out and about. I’m enjoying it immensely,” he said ahead of Sunday’s walk followed by the early morning hour of talking on Monday.