Croagh Patrick - Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage

Croagh Patrick has been a site of pilgrimage, especially at the summer solstice, since before the arrival of Celtic Christianity. Saint Patrick reputedly fasted on the summit of Croagh Patrick for forty days in the fifth century and built a church there. Popular legend says that at the end of Patrick's 40-day fast, he threw a silver bell down the side of the hill, knocking the she-demon Corra from the sky and banishing all the snakes from Ireland.

A Civil Defence survey conducted on 30 July 2006 indicated that there were approximately 15,000 pilgrims in 2006, fewer than in previous years, but heavy rain early that morning had been a deterrent. Two-thirds of the pilgrims in 2006 were male. They included participants from Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Australia, Brazil, the Netherlands, Italy, Latvia, India, Hungary and Canada. There were 3,500 first-time climbers.

On "Reek Sunday" (the last Sunday in July) emergency medical and rescue cover for pilgrams is provided by the Civil Defence, Order of Malta Ambulance Corps, and Mayo Mountain Rescue Team assisted by 12 other voluntary Mountain Rescue teams that are represented by the group Mountain Rescue Ireland (I.M.R.A), the Irish Air Corps providing helicopter support for casualty evacuations to hospital or to the emergency services in two locations at the base of the hill.

While barefoot trekking is now discouraged, many Reek Sunday participants climb Croagh Patrick barefoot (and, among men, sometimes shirtless). Hypothermia is a concern for many climbers, especially if the weather is bad. As a result, the trip can be dangerous at times for many of the climbers and, while deaths are infrequent, there have been recorded incidents where people have been badly injured during the climb because of the steep scree slope to the summit and the poor footing.