Courtney McGrailThe ancient pilgrimage to Croagh Patrick has an enduring appeal, writes Rachel Beard
Rachel Beard
In his homily in Westport on the eve of Reek Sunday, Papal Nuncio Archbishop Charles Brown quoted the second reading of the evening in its more traditional English translation.
“‘If you have risen with Christ, seek the things that are above,’” he said. Well, you can’t get more ‘above’ in Ireland than climbing to the peak of Croagh Patrick.
Archbishop of Tuam Michael Neary led the 2016 national Reek Sunday pilgrimage along with Archbishop Brown, and nearly 20,000 pilgrims followed their footsteps that day. Although Archbishop Neary has been climbing Croagh Patrick since he was “yea high”, he took his time on the way up and wasn’t afraid to take the road less travelled. While others took the main dirt path up, the archbishop climbed up the loose rocks to the side of the mountain.
Pilgrim path
“I’m going to go left,” he said to me, pointing his walking stick at the loose rocks. “That’s closer to where the original pilgrim path was.”
At the top of the mountain, Confession was available from 7.30am until 2.00pm and Mass was celebrated every half hour from 8.00am until 2.00pm. Archbishop Neary celebrated Mass at 10:30am, and Archbishop Brown at 9.30am.
Early in the morning, the weather was perfect. The view from the top was unobstructed.
Mossy, a Tipperary native, climbed the mountain in his bare feet for the 21st year in a row this year. After attending Mass and receiving Communion, he stood on the summit and looked out over the landscape.
“I’m 266 miles from home at the bottom of this mountain, but look at the lovely scenery,” he said. “Just look. I’m just sorry I didn’t bring my camera and my binoculars with me. I just forgot them.”
Another man, Pat, a 68-year-old from Co. Meath, has climbed the mountain 30 times, but hasn’t gone barefoot every time.
“[I’ve gone barefoot] all the time except once that I hurt my toes and I had to come back in my boots to make sure I could do it again,” he said. “To get back on the horse.”
Cecilia climbed the mountain for her fourth time on Sunday, but says she could never do it barefoot even if she finds it “inspiring” to see others doing it. She did have some advice for first time pilgrims, though.
“So I think it’s really the faith, and for the advice, proper gear maybe and just light gear going up,” Cecilia says. “Maybe warm-up, stretch…the rest is prayers and history.”
There are dozens of big rocks on the summit where visitors exhausted from the climb can rest for a moment. Geraldine was sitting on one such rock in her bright leggings while she waited for her climbing partner to join her.
“You see my little friend here,” she said with a laugh, pointing at an old man, clearly just finished with his climb, looked around aimlessly at the base of the summit. “Yoo-hoo!” Geraldine gave a loud whistle, and Jim walked over to her side.
Jim has been climbing the mountain every year for over 30 years, while Geraldine has been doing it for at least ten. She says God inspired her to start climbing, while Jim has been an avid mountain climber for years.
Amid the dozens of pilgrims wandering the top of the mountain were several clergymen as well. In a break between Masses, Archbishop Brown and Fr Fintan Monahan took refuge from the wind and chatted with some friends.
During their conversation, Archbishop Neary approached with the nuncio’s zucchetto, which he had to borrow for Mass. After accepting it, Archbishop Charles gave Fr Fintan a considering look.
“Actually, you know what, here,” he said as he handed his zucchetto over to Fr Fintan, the newly appointed bishop of Killaloe. “It’s yours.” The bishop-elect laughed.
Fr Fintan was congratulated frequently by people he passed on his way down the mountain that afternoon. He starred in plenty of selfies and even blessed three pilgrims on their way up.
In his homily on Saturday night, Archbishop Brown quoted something Pope Francis wrote in his Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’, words that were no doubt relevant to everyone who climbed the mountain that day, pilgrim, clergyman or otherwise.
“Standing awestruck before a mountain… [a person] cannot separate this experience from God, and perceives that the interior awe being lived has to be entrusted to the Lord,” he wrote.
Vox pops…
Lorraine, Co. Meath
Third time
“We have done this climb before but never done it on Reek Sunday, so we decided we’d try it out today. We’ve set ourselves a few challenges this year, so I think this was a challenge that we wanted to do. We have attended Mass and confession, and we’re just finishing off a few of the prayers and stuff and then we’ll make our way down.”
Christopher, Co. Longford
Eighth time up
“I’m from Nigeria. Right now, I’m an Irish citizen. I live in Longford. I’ve been here every year since 2009. We come as a group with 20 members of the Legion of Mary from St Mary’s Cathedral. I look forward to it every year. I’ve finished my prayer. I’m just having a break, and then I start going down.”
Antoine, Galway, went as a child, and Mario, Minnesota
First time
Mario [after running up the mountain]: “That was intense. That was very intense. I’m feeling it now. It’s good, though. It’s very good. I do a lot of flatland stuff. I’ve climbed other mountains, but I’ve never run them.”
Antoine: “We didn’t bring any supplies or anything, so we’re just literally up and then down.”
Hugh, Co. Mayo
50th time
“I started when I was about 17, 16. I’ve always had a great belief in mountains and climbing. I look after sheep, and I do a lot of hill walking. I have climbed no other mountains. I haven’t climbed mountains down in my own area where I come from.”
Pat, Co. Meath
Over 30 times
“Penance for other people who aren’t able to do it or have done it. There’s a priest there, Fr Homan, and he did it 20 years ago in bare feet and 19 years ago in his shoes, but he can’t do it anymore. His legs aren’t too good, but I’ll do it for him.”
Geraldine & Jimmy, Dublin
Over 10 times and over 30 times respectively
Jim: “We do every mountain. We climb in Dublin. We climb the Wicklow Mountains. Last year, we didn’t even miss it when they stopped. We were on our way up when they stopped it. We started at about quarter to seven and they stopped it at eight o’clock. They put a notice down at the bottom but it was too late.”
Sarah Jane and
Lauren, Galway
First time and second time, respectively
Sarah Jane: “It is a little bit religious. I think that’s at the core of it, isn’t it? But it’s kind of one of those things. You can’t be Irish and not climb it.”
Cecilia & Suzette, Dublin
fourth time and first time respectively
Cecilia: “What brought me here is my faith. I said to myself before that I would not come back here anymore, but no. It keeps on coming back to me that I want to try it every year as long as I can. The mere fact that I reached the summit is already such fulfilment, an accomplishment for us.”
Gordon, Dublin
14th time
“The guitar isn’t that heavy to carry. It’s not that big a weight. I’ve never done it barefoot so this is my little extra sacrifice, and people generally tell me that it adds a lot of joy. I stop a couple times along the way to sing for the people who don’t get up here at the same time that I’m up here.”
Mossy, Co. Tipperary
21st time
“This is my 21st year doing it. I always had a following for St Patrick. I just liked him. I studied him, and I liked him. I said if he was going to do it all his life in his bare feet, why can’t we just do it for four hours up and four hours down? I’m religious, I’m a religious guy, you know?”