WalkingStrenuous3-4 hours return
Croagh Patrick (the Reek)
approx 7 km return · 764 m summit elevation
← All things to do
About
Mayo's 764-metre holy mountain, climbed from Murrisk on the shore of Clew Bay about 8km west of Westport. A place of pilgrimage since long before Saint Patrick is said to have fasted forty days on the summit, it draws tens of thousands on Reek Sunday, the last Sunday in July, some of them barefoot. The climb is roughly 7km and three to four hours return, with a steep, loose scree cone at the top.
Highlights
- ✓Summit oratory built in 1905 and panoramic Clew Bay views
- ✓The statue of Saint Patrick at the Murrisk trailhead
- ✓The Reek Sunday pilgrimage, last Sunday in July
- ✓The National Famine Memorial coffin-ship sculpture at Murrisk
Tips
- →Park at the Murrisk visitor centre; pay-and-display is around €2.50 for four hours and walking-stick hire about €4.
- →Go on a dry, clear day for the views and wear proper boots; the scree cone is the hardest part both up and down.
Best Season
SpringSummerAutumn