I hear Macra’s Steps for our Future march received backing from not one but two heads of state recently.

No less than president Michael D Higgins and US president Joe Biden passed on messages of support for the idea to Macra incoming president, Elaine Houlihan, at an event in Áras an Uachtaráin during the US president’s visit.

“President Biden was especially interested in the concept of walking the 79km in our 79th year and we’ll be sharing 79 stories of people who had to move abroad,” she told The Dealer.