BROKE PATRICK
Fears pilgrims are destroying farmland on holy mountain
PILGRIMS pounding their way to the top of Croagh Patrick are putting the famous reek at risk.
The mountain is slowly being eroded by 120,000 hikers a year – and now local farmers are fighting back.
A stakeholders group has hired experts to build a footpath up the side of the peak to keep walkers from tramping all over the vegetation.
Much of the famous Co Mayo mountain is privately owned with 46 shareholders in the commonage, 11 of them active farmers. They claim they have lost a huge amount of land which has been destroyed by the heavy footfall which has left a 15m scar on the mountainside.
“The path has gone to an awful width in places. It has taken at least 50 acres or more,” local farmer and shareholder John Grady said.
He tells this week’s Ear To The Ground on RTE One: “A lot of it is erosion and rock and scree. It is getting damaged and it would be nice to get it back to what it needs to be, a mountain path instead of a scar on the mountain.”
The need for drastic action was highlighted in 2015 when the annual Reek
Sunday Pilgrimage in July was cancelled due to treacherous conditions and heavy rainfall.
Some 5,000 people still climbed the mountain despite appeals not to, causing significant damage to the path and surrounding habitat.
HEALING
A group with representatives from the church, community, shareholders on the mountain, county council and tourist interests was formed.
Mountaineering Ireland spokesperson Helen Lawless said she hoped providing
a “robust route” would avoid the need for quotas of walkers climbing Croagh Patrick.
She added: “It’s provided healing for people and now people are starting to heal the erosion scar on Croagh Patrick which is really welcome.”
The work is being funded for two years by the Department for Rural and Community Development and managed by the Croagh Patrick Stakeholder Group.
Ear To The Ground airs on RTE One on Thursday at 7pm.