BorderWalk 2023
June 9 - 26, 2023
An annual 200-mile peace walk along the border of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
BorderWalk is a pilgrimage of understanding which would see Protestants and Catholics coming together in praying for God to restore the brokenness in our land and to reconcile the division between our communities.
Over the past 10 years of BorderWalk, we have been praying for a continuation of peace, healing and reconciliation in Ireland. This pilgrimage brings us closer to the pain and suffering that the people along the border have been experiencing for the past 50 years. We hope that our continued understanding of the tension would allow us to partner with the reconciliation process within Ireland.
By doing BorderWalk we don’t take political sides, but we encourage both sides of the community to join us in God’s vision for Ireland.
We believe God wants to completely heal, restore and build unity in the hearts of the people of Ireland. We hope that by joining BorderWalk, you will be able to receive this vision and be a part of God’s story in Ireland.
Why is there a border across Ireland?
Why is there a divide among Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland?
The border was established in 1921 when Ireland fought for independence from British ruling. The border separates the 6 counties of Northern Ireland and the 26 counties of the Republic of Ireland. Northern Ireland was predominately made up of Northern Irish Protestants who wanted to stay under British ruling, and Irish Catholics were the minority.
Before the Northern Irish civil war, also known as ‘The Troubles’ began in the late 1960s, sectarianism and tension had been mounting between Catholics and Protestants living in Northern Ireland for several years. Eventually conflict between the two communities created war. For the next 30 years until the late 1990s, thousands were injured and killed, including many innocent civilians.
In 1998, The Good Friday Agreement was signed, which saw the war come to an end. Thus, finding peaceful ways to resolve conflict going forward.
FAQs
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We typically walk about 9-12 miles per day together. There are multiple prayer times throughout the day to connect with God, reflect on history of the towns, and pray together as a group. We stay in a variety of locations along the way from church halls to community centers while often hosting evening events for the local members of the community.
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Absolutely! We welcome people to come for anywhere from 1 day to all 18 days. The application process is the same for any length of time.
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The cost is £12 per day or a total of £216 for the entire walk. This includes accommodation, meals, transportation, and laundry facilities.
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Our walk starts in Rostrevor in County Down and ends in Derry/Londonderry in County Londonderry. It is roughly 200 miles along the border.
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After you have applied, we will be sending a packing list for you to prepare before coming. We also highly recommend going on long walks ahead of time in order to build stamina and endurance for our 9-15 mile days. Additionally, it is very useful to research the history of the Northern Ireland/Republic of Ireland before joining the prayer walk.
