Climbing Croagh Patrick in the dark of night

By Tom Gillespie

THE black and white photograph below was taken on Reek Sunday nearly 60 years ago and the bright young chap on the bicycle is none other than myself.

As you can see, I was riding the bike down the small stream dividing Marian Row and St. Bridget’s Crescent in Castlebar.

The reason I remember it was Reek Sunday was because about 12 hours earlier I had climbed Croagh Patrick, after midnight, in total darkness.

After returning to our house in Marian Row, showering and grabbing a few hours sleep, I cycled down the stream before heading off to the matinee in the County Cinema on Spencer Street.

Earlier, along with a number of school pals, we took the train from Castlebar to Westport and were bussed out to the foot of the Reek at Murrisk.

Back then the night vigil to scale the 2,510 foot holy mountain attracted thousands to Westport for the overnight bar exemptions and the challenge of reaching the summit before the break of dawn.

The religious aspect of the pilgrimage was not, I have to admit, much to the fore then. Later, when I became of age, we had a few pints of Smithwicks beer in one of the all-night bars before heading for Murrisk.

Up until the 1970s it was traditional for pilgrims to climb the mountain after sunset. In 1976 the church authorities outlawed it in favour of a daylight trek. Unfortunately, the all-night drinking played a major factor in that decision.

Prior to the change, I must confess, I only got as far as Westport, and spent the night in Heneghan’s Pub, among others.

Over the years I have climbed the Reek on six occasions - five of them at night. Such sorties were rewarded with panoramic sunrise views of the island-dotted Clew Bay below.

One of the advantages of climbing in the dark, with a bad bicycle lamp, was you had no idea of how far away or close it was to the summit.

You had to rely on ascending pilgrims as to the distance. But all delivered the same encouraging answer when questioned: “It’s just around the next corner.”

Meanwhile, on the downside, the darkness resulted in bumps and bruises to shins and ankles from concealed rocks.

Hawkers did a roaring trade at the foot of the mountain selling ‘sticks for the Reek’ at 1s 6d each, rosary beads and ‘autographed’ holy pictures of St. Patrick.

It was reckoned that a single stick seller could sell up to 1,000 on the night.

Many of these sticks ended up in the tiny stream at the foot to the Reek where pilgrims cooled their weary feet in the refreshing waters after the descent.

Along the pilgrim path to the summit refreshments could be purchased from makeshift tents. However, the nearer you got to the summit the dearer the items became.

The Archbishop of Tuam traditionally led the pilgrimage, with midnight Mass on the summit back then.

The name Croagh Patrick comes from the Irish ‘Cruach Phádraig’, meaning St. Patrick’s stack. ‘Rick’ or ‘Reek’ is a Hibernian English word for stack. Some sources reference Cruachain as meaning throne, seat or block.

In 1905, a small church was built on top of Croagh Patrick by the local population. It is believed that there has been a chapel or place of worship on the site since the 5th century.

Besides the small church, which has hosted the celebration of Mass every Reek Sunday since 1905, the mountain itself is considered holy by both the Christian and the pagan tradition, as it was originally used to celebrate the pagan festivals of the summer solstice and the harvest festival of Lughnasadh (Halloween).

On the last Sunday in July, thousands of pilgrims climb Croagh Patrick in honour of St. Patrick who, according to tradition, fasted and prayed on the summit for 40 days in the year 441.

Today, most pilgrims climb the Reek from the direction of Murrisk Abbey to the north. Originally, most pilgrims climbed the mountain from the east, following the Togher Patrick pilgrim path from Ballintubber Abbey, which is dotted with prehistoric monuments.

This year Reek Sunday takes place on this Sunday (July 30), when Mass will be celebrated on the summit hourly from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the 10 a.m. will be as Gaeilge. Confessions will be heard on the summit from 7.30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

According to the Westport Parish website, the Church has actively engaged with other stakeholders to undertake the sustainable access and habitat restoration project currently underway on it which aims to provide a robust path for access and to restore the eroded parts of the mountain.

The parish issued the following advice and appeal to pilgrims:

As part of our support for the project, we have committed to minimising the impact of pilgrimage on Croagh Patrick, the drinking water that comes from the mountain streams, the local community and other users of the mountain.

In order to do this, we ask each pilgrim to comply with the following:

If travelling by car, please park responsibly and follow the instructions of stewards on the day.

Stay on the defined path on the mountain (where in place) and do not encroach on the adjoining habitat which may be in the process of restoration.

The mountain streams provide drinking water for the local community. Be respectful of this while on the mountain.

We endorse the Leave no Trace principle. Please do not discard any litter on the mountain.

It should also be noted that there are no dogs allowed on the mountain. Please respect this requirement.

All pilgrims should heed the instructions of the mountain rescue teams, Order of Malta and An Gárda Síochána at all times.

Pilgrims should follow the instructions and guidelines issued by Mayo Mountain Rescue.