Croagh Patrick

About Croagh Patrick

Rising as a striking quartzite cone above the Atlantic, this holy mountain is as much a site of pilgrimage as a hiking challenge. The steep, scree-covered final ascent requires care, but the reward is an unparalleled view across the drowned drumlins of Clew Bay toward the Nephin Beg range.

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Did You Know?

• •Known in Old Irish as Cruach Aigli, meaning 'the mountain of the eagle', its modern name Cruach Phádraig commemorates Saint Patrick. Tradition holds that the saint spent forty days fasting and praying on the summit in 441 AD, though the mountain was likely a sacred site for pagan harvest festivals long before the arrival of Christianity.
• •The standard route from Murrisk follows a wide, well-trodden path that becomes increasingly loose underfoot. The final 'cone' is composed of steep quartzite scree, making for a slippery ascent that tests the ankles of hikers and the faith of pilgrims alike.
• •On a clear day, the summit offers a spectacular perspective of Clew Bay to the north, where a multitude of drowned drumlins form a maze of small islands. To the south, the view stretches across the rugged interior of Mayo towards the distinctive peak of Mweelrea.
• •The small chapel at the summit, dedicated in 1905, was constructed from local stone and cement carried up the mountain by hand. It replaced several earlier structures, as the peak has been a focal point for the 'Reek Sunday' pilgrimage for over a thousand years.
• •Despite the modern prevalence of high-tech Gore-Tex and vibram-soled boots, you will still occasionally be overtaken on the steepest scree slopes by a local pensioner climbing the mountain in a wool coat and leather shoes.