Over 4,000 climb Croagh Patrick for Reek Sunday despite wet weather

INCESSENT rainfall did not deter over 4,000 people from making the pilgrimage to the top of Croagh Patick this afternoon (July 30). 

Pilgrims began climbing the mountain shortly after midnight, with more arriving prior to the commencement of hourly masses on the summit at 8am.

Continuous rainfall descended after 9am, creating difficult climbing conditions for pilgrims, many of whom travelled long distances - some of whom climbed the mountain barefoot.

Local parish priest Fr Charlie McDonnell told The Mayo News that he estimated that over 4,000 people undertook the climb today (Sunday July 30).

He added that nearby car parks were busier than the previous year in the early morning, but that the overall number of pilgrims appeared to be down.

"The weather was a huge contributory factor. The day was atrocious," Fr McDonnell said.

Despite the difficult climbing conditions, Fr McDonnell said there have been no reports of serious casualties and that overall casualty figures were ‘way down’ on previous years.

Fr McDonnell said that recent works on the path at the cone of the mountain had made 'a huge difference' to the safety of climbers.

This year’s Reek Sunday pilgrimage was dedicated to church vocations.

A special stand was set up at the foot of the mountain to provide information about the priesthood.

The annual pilgrimage has been designated as one of the key initiatives to highlight the Year for Vocations to the Diocesan Priesthood.

Echoing the theme of this year’s pilgrimage, Fr McDonnell called on men to consider joining the priesthood.

"No doubt it is a challenging time to minister as a priest, but in my role I find that serving the people of God in today's counter-cultural environment is nothing short of a faith-enriching experience," he said.

"For this Reek Sunday, I invite any man who is discerning a vocation to the priesthood to avail of the opportunity to come to Croagh Patrick and pray, climb and reflect with other priests and members of the faithful."

Eamon Martin, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, pictured at the top of Croagh Patrick on Reek Sunday (Pic: Conor McKeown)

Eamon Martin, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, said Mass at the top of the Reek at 11am before giving out Holy Communion.

"On Reek Sunday every year we follow in the footsteps of Saint Patrick, and of our ancestors who have climbed this holy mountain since the dawn of Christianity. Croagh Patrick, represents the rock from which we, the people of Ireland were hewn," said Archbishop Martin in his homily.

"Today’s pilgrimage links our past, present and future and it continues to nurture the spiritual memory and identity of this country."

Archbishop Martin also decried ‘unlimited choice without consequence’ as ‘a tyranny which threatens the dignity of the human person as a unity of body and soul’.

"To be able to discern between good and evil is more important than ever, when there are just so many choices out there, and when the primacy of individual choice - including absolute choice over our bodies and over creation - is sometimes held up as the gold standard of a ‘modern’ society freed from the so-called 'shackles of the past'," he stated.

"But to present choice as unlimited, unencumbered by talk of 'good and bad' choice, of 'right and wrong' choice, is a recipe for disappointment, for a sense of personal failure and even despair."