Plan your trip

Download your full route guide at lfto.com/ bonusroutes. Ordnance Survey Ireland’s Adventure Map – Clew Bay, Croagh Patrick & Clare Island covers the area at 1:25,000 scale.

The nearest town is Westport and bus 450 runs to Murrisk at the start of the walk (not Sun). From mainland Britain you can fly to Knock Airport in the west, or to Dublin, which is also served by car ferries from Liverpool and Holyhead. Trains and buses run to Westport – see transportforireland.ie

Croagh Patrick Hostel and Cottages (croaghpatrickhostel.ie) offers comfy, clean and affordable accommodation in smart new buildings in Murrisk – dorm beds from €25pn and cottages sleeping 2 and 2 children, from €115. Wide choice in Westport.

Campbell’s (campbellspub.ie) is one of the oldest pubs in Ireland and is known as ‘Campbell’s at the Reek’ for its prime location at the foot of Croagh Patrick. Friendly staff happily welcome crowds of walkers for a post-walk pint, or you can refuel with Atlantic seafood chowder with home-made bread (€6.90) or home-made chicken curry (€13.50). penance and thick fog of the peak’s higher reaches.

Looking forward to a whiskey and drying out in Campbell’s I broke into a jog trot and raced down to sea-level. I had one last bit of business to attend to before ordering up a hot toddy. I looked around for the stick rental man, keen to return my length of sturdy hazel and pick up my deposit. He’d gone. I wasn’t going to get my three euro back. On the other hand I was now the owner of a well-proven stick with a full service history, only one careful owner, and a pilgrimage under its belt.

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See ireland.com

The path is clear but the going is rough on the slopes of Croagh Patrick.