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Croagh Patrick

silverwatch

Hey

Unsure if this is the correct place to place this thread or not.

I plan on doing the Croagh Patrick pilgrimage next Sunday. I am just wonderin if anyone knows what the benefits are of doing the pilgrimage. As in, it is believed there are cures in Lourdes etc, what is it exactly that ppl are meant to get out of the Croagh Patrick pilgrimage?

Thanks

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oscarBravo

I'm not aware of anything in particular that it's supposed to achieve on a spiritual level, but then I'm not at all a religious person.

The views are pretty spectacular, and there's a great sense of achievement...

dec25532

No, there are no cures or miracles or anything like that. As OscarBravo said, it is a great sense of achievement for some, but it is also a form of penance for others while there are people who it as a reflection of the hardship of times past. But then there are people who do it to meet the rest of the hoards going up and down and helping them along the way. There are loads of different reasons for climbing the Reek and not all of them are religion based. Having done it only on two occasions, the people you meet are wonderful.

osprey

For spirituality, religion, challenge and scenery. Croagh Patrick is the focal point for the positvity of thousands. Every climber gets something special out of it.

Diabhal Beag

It's pretty fcuking tough though. Especially the middle to the top. Not for everybody TBH.

nuac

It is exhilarating to climb any mountain.

When you climb Croagh Patrick you are continuing a tradition that goes back well into pagan times. It was "taken over" by St Patrick.

At Knock, Lourdes, etc there is a belief that the BVM appeared. Maybe. Each to their own.

However it is pretty definite that St Patrick did climb Croagh Patrick.

Enjoy. Be careful.

ash23

I'm not religious so can't comment on that aspect of it. All I'll say is that it's tough going. Really tough.
But there is a great sense of achievement when you make it to the top.

As for anyone doing it in their bare feet, imo thats just stupidity. Even the church have warned against that. I'd rather poke my eyes out with hot pokers than climb that bare foot. It's dangerous and I'd imagine agony.

oscarBravo

Yeah, the barefoot thing is nuts. Even the people you see climbing in street shoes and sneakers are asking for serious injury. Hiking boots ftw.

ScareGilly

oscarBravo wrote: »

The views are pretty spectacular, and there's a great sense of achievement...

Not much chance of a good view on Reek Sunday though, haha. And this is probably too late for this now, but please, for future reference, don't expect to get into the church for a look around on Reek Sunday. You people really don't know how annoying you are...

Placebo Effect

ScareGilly wrote: »

Not much chance of a good view on Reek Sunday though, haha. And this is probably too late for this now, but please, for future reference, don't expect to get into the church for a look around on Reek Sunday. You people really don't know how annoying you are...

Is that you Patrick?

St._Andalou

I know Reek Sunday has come and gone, but in Christian mythology Saint Patrick is believed to have spent forty days and forty nights at the top of the mountain praying and fasting. The story of St. Patrick banishing the snakes from Ireland comes from his time there, when he banished them at the end of his fast.

(I remember my dad telling me that as a child, so I went onto Wikipedia, and apparently it's been a site of pilgrimage for the Summer Solstice since before the arrival of Christianity.)

I remember visiting as a kid and there was an archaeological dig being carried out at the summit.

Also, interestingly, gold was found in the mountain (or 700,000 tonnes of ore) which has never been mined.

MayoForSam

St._Andalou wrote: »

Also, interestingly, gold was found in the mountain (or 700,000 tonnes of ore) which has never been mined.

I would expect Brian Cowen and the FF frontbench to turn up en-masse one of these days with picks and shovels to begin digging for the yellow stuff - might be preferable to another very nasty budget.

Might actually climb the Reek myself next weekend, weather permitting. No point going up there unless it's clear and not slippery (especially if you have youngsters).

Shame that most people only think of climbing this one mountain, there are dozens of other hills and summits around the west well worth hiking to the top of.

osprey

MayoForSam wrote: »

I would expect Brian Cowen and the FF frontbench to turn up en-masse one of these days with picks and shovels to begin digging for the yellow stuff - might be preferable to another very nasty budget.

The Mayo County Council figure the real gold is in the car park, so they've started charging people to park at the base of the mountain. "CHI - CHING."

nuac

Yes, there is some gold in Croagh Patrick. Government made an order about 20 years ago prohbiting prospecting for gold on CP in deference to the mountain's social and cultural importance. The company seeking the prospecting licence challenged that order in the High Court without any success.

Even if there were no government prohibition there would be numerous environmental hurdles to surmount for a gold mining operation. From the economic point of view it depends on the number of ounces of gold per ton of ore, and the difficulties of extreacting that while complying with all environmental and legal requirements.

There was and is strong and vocal opposition in the locality to any gold mining on Croagh Patrick or adjoining areas.

ScareGilly

Placebo Effect wrote: »

Is that you Patrick?

No, it's me Kevin, one of the stewards on the Reek whose job it is to tell people the church is closed yet they insist on trying to get in...

St._Andalou wrote: »

Also, interestingly, gold was found in the mountain (or 700,000 tonnes of ore) which has never been mined.

My grandfather was on the Late Late years ago debating why they shouldn't mine it

alex73

nuac wrote: »

There was and is strong and vocal opposition in the locality to any gold mining on Croagh Patrick or adjoining areas.

Quite right!,

hondavfr

Go prepared,Hiking Boots, a rain jacket,Mobile phone,stick, some snacks & drinks and allow at least 3 hrs climb up and down(depending on fitness levels).Its a nice achievement and as previously said the views are spectactular from the top.

trish23

You people really don't know how annoying you are...[/QUOTE]

Now that's a shame you're annoyed so easily! Once followed the priest up & was quietly impressed he hadn't got a helicopter... Seriously, what's with locking the church? Who's going to steal the candle money?

nuac

The Church on top of Croagh Patrick has to be kept locked to protect it from vandalism.

Remoteness is no protection. Blackrock Lighthouse out in the Atlantic NE of Achill Island while an unattended lighthouse was broken into and vandalised about 30 years ago. Usually seafaring folk don't damage lighthouses for obvious reasons, but times are a changing.

Archeological investigations show that Croagh Patrick was a place of pilgrimage long before St Patrick got there. It also appears that the Togher Phadraig - the pathway from Croaughan Roscommon thru Ballintubber to CP was also in use long before St Patrick's time.

There is a tradition in the Hebridies that in olden times they used sail from there to Clew Bay to climb Croagh Patrick