National Walking Week Sligo

What to Expect

National Walking Week runs from Monday 21 to Sunday 27 September 2026, part of the European Week of Sport, and Sligo Public Participation Network is inviting community groups, schools, workplaces and clubs across the county to take part. It is a deliberately low-key civic initiative rather than a single ticketed event: participation can mean a short local walk, a workplace lunchtime walk, a school walking activity, or simply replacing one car journey with a walk on foot. Each day of the week carries a different theme, covering mindful walking, workplace walking, accessibility and inclusion, hiking, and active travel, with Thursday 24 September set aside as Active Travel Day focused on walking for everyday journeys like the commute to work or school.

Sligo PPN, based at County Hall in Riverside, coordinates local participation and encourages groups to register their walks with Get Ireland Walking so they count towards the national campaign and photo competition. Because it runs across dozens of small, self-organised activities rather than one central gathering, anyone in County Sligo can join in through their own school, workplace, club or community group without needing to book a place at a central venue.

The week is aimed squarely at people who might not otherwise think of themselves as sporty, which is why the daily themes lean towards accessibility, inclusion and everyday journeys rather than distance or speed. Sligo PPN itself is the umbrella body that links community and voluntary groups, social inclusion groups and environmental groups into Sligo County Council’s decision making, so National Walking Week also doubles as a reminder of the kind of countywide, grassroots coordination the PPN does throughout the year, well beyond this one themed week.

Good to Know

• Date: Monday 21 to Sunday 27 September 2026
• Format: Countywide, self-organised community, school and workplace walks, no central ticketed event
• Price: Free
• Recurrence: Annual national campaign with local Sligo PPN coordination
• Register a walk or find out more via Get Ireland Walking or Sligo PPN

Getting There

Activities take place wherever groups choose to organise them across County Sligo. Sligo PPN’s coordinating office is at County Hall, Riverside, Sligo, a short walk from the town centre.