Scaling Croagh Patrick for heart health funding
A THREE-DAY walking festival in Mayo next month is setting out to raise funds for Croi, the heart and stroke foundation.
The 63km Croagh Patrick Heritage Trail was founded in 2009 by the Tochar Valley Rural Commuity Network to generate income for small farm holdings and the local community, between the villages of Balla and Murrisk.
There are numerous heritage sites along the trail, some dating back 5,000 years, such as the Boheh Stone, whose neolithic carvings are similar to those in Newgrange.
Further along the trail takes you to the village of Ballintubber with its abbey, which was founded circa 1216 by King Cathal Crovdearg O’Conor.
In the grounds of the abbey is St Patrick’s Well, where Patrick baptised converts, with a stone alongside bearing the supposed imprint of the saint’s knee.
There are also ringforts dating to the Bronze Age.
In the village of Aghagower there is a striking 12th-century round tower and medieval church. The tower was built between 973 and 1013. St Patrick had strong links to Aghagower and baptised some of his first converts here.
Croagh Patrick itself has been a ritual focus for thousands of years. Thousands of people undertake the climb to the top of the mountain each year with the main day being
The walking trail was set up as part of a project to raise money for local small farm holdings
Reek Sunday, the last Sunday in July. It’s believed that the earliest Christians arrived in Ireland some 400 years after the birth of Christ. At this time Ireland was embedded in a deep pagan tradition.
The festival takes place on March 13-15, with all proceeds going to Croi.
For further details, see www.cpht.ie or by phoning 094 9030687. Online registrations: https://croi.ie/tc-events/heritage-trail/