Irish Camino routes

With the welcome news that inter-county travel will be permitted from May 10th, it might be a good time to start planning to escape-at long, long last. 

To tempt fate, I thought I'd follow up on the Camino post from a few weeks ago with some multi-day walking routes in Ireland. In recent years, these have been marketed as 'Irish Caminos' or 'Celtic Caminos' and form part of the Pilgrim Paths initiative, more information on which can be found here.

Starting in the West, the Tóchar Phadraig starts at Ballintubber Abbey and finishes at the car park at the foot of Croagh Patrick, covering a distance of approximately 35kms. The Abbey, which was founded in 1216 AD by Cathal Cródhearg O'Conor, is located just off the N84, between Claremorris and Castlebar.

The Tóchar is said to follow the ancient chariot road from Rathcroghan to Cruachan Aille, the ancient name for Croagh Patrick. You have to register at the Abbey (cost €10), and you will also be able to pick up a map of the route and a guidebook there. Note that the route is incorrectly marked on the OSi Discovery Series maps (30 and 38), so it's definitely worth getting the official one from the Abbey. Pilgrim passports, for the authentic Camino experience, are also available (Contact: Ballintubber Abbey, Ballintubber, Claremorris, Co. Mayo, F12 W584. Phone: 094 9030934; Email: info@ballintubberabbey.ie). Important details at the bottom of the page here. 

There's a good description of the walk, landmarks along the way and some handy tips in John G. O'Dwyer's book Pilgrim Paths in Ireland-A Guide, published by the Collins Press (€15). 

The Slí Cholmcille or Way of St Colmcille is a 65km route which forms part of the Slí Dhún na nGall. This one is top of my list for the summer. Named after the sixth century Irish saint, it's graded overall a moderate walk. It starts and finishes in the village of Ardara and encompasses the villages of Glencolmkille, Kilcar and Carrick in south-west Donegal. Walking the route clockwise is recommended. There seems to be a good bit of road walking and there are boggy off-road sections but the scenery is said to be spectacular as it winds its way around the coast and through the mountains. Port, the most westerly village in Donegal and the Glengesh Valley get a special mention. There is accommodation en route, which makes it quite doable with a bit of forward planning. Downloadable maps are available on the Sport Ireland website. The OSi Discovery Series 10 covers the area. Slí Cholmcille is said to be well-signposted and well-maintained. It also now forms part of the Appalachian Way, the long-distance American trail. This year is the 1500th anniversary of Colmcille's birth, so walking in his footsteps around beautiful Donegal might be a good way to celebrate it. 

If you were really organised, you would time your trip to coincide with the Turas Cholmcille usually completed between the 9th of June, which is the Saint's feast day, and the 15th of August. By all accounts, it's one for the hardier types. Traditionally completed barefoot (and at night if you so choose), it's a tough 5km route which also seems to have a tradition of sinking pilgrims! It starts on the outskirts of Glencolmkille village. For up to date information, there's contact details and further information at http://www.colmcille.org/glencolmcille.

A group of around thirty Club members walked St Declan's Way, from the Rock of Cashel in Tipperary to Ardmore in Co. Waterford over the August bank holiday weekend in 2014. Following the ancient road known as the Rian Bó Phádraig, St Declan's Way is now regarded as one of the Celtic Camino routes. It took us four days to cover the 100km route. We walked from Cashel to Ardfinnan via a tour of the Swiss Cottage in Cahir (27kms in total), Ardfinnan to Mount Mellary via the Liam Lynch Monument (23 kms), Lismore to Aglish (25kms) and Aglish to Ardmore (20kms).

There's a fair bit of road walking but the scenery makes up for it. The last day walking towards the sea to the beautiful fishing village of Ardmore was a highlight for me but there was plenty of good things to choose from.

If you want an authentic Camino experience, a 'pilgrim passport' scheme was established in 2017. Passports are available from the Camino Society Ireland (see here). Some routes, such as the Tóchar Phádraig, also have their own passports, as referred to above. Once you have completed five of the Celtic Camino routes, you will qualify for a Teastas certificate, which can be obtained from Ballintubber Abbey.

It's been a long, tough winter. If Covid has taught us anything, it's that we don't know what's coming next. Let us not waste any more time. Turn your face (and feet) towards the sun and let the proverbial shadows fall behind you. Buen Camino!

Mountaineering Ireland talk

Mountaineering Ireland will host an online zoom talk entitled 'From Mullingar to Rongbuk - Charles Howard-Bury and the Mount Everest Reconnaissance Expedition 1921' on Tuesday 18th May at 7.30pm. The event is free but you have to register in advance. Further information here. 

International Dark Sky Week 5th - 12th April 2021

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The beautiful clear nights for the last week or so have meant that anyone with a grá for the stars and planets is in their element. With any luck we will get out to enjoy the skies on a night walk at some point this year and get to enjoy the wonder of the heavens as a club. In the meantime, for this International Dark Sky Week, the friends of Mayo Dark Skies have organised a series of online events to inspire you. There's a great range of topics covering all interests. The events are free but you have to register in advance here. For the full programme of events, see IDSW 2021

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Happy Easter

Wishing all Club members a Happy Easter-Beannachtaí na Cásca oraibh. 

Many people say they prefer Easter to Christmas. Both have their origins in pagan festivals and although maybe less known, there are certainly traditions recorded in the archives of the Folklore Commission for these next few days. Many seem  more pagan than Christian, especially those associated with the sun. 

This year, Easter falls at the very beginning of April. The first few days of this month are associated with the story of the Bó Riabhach or the brindled cow. Once upon a time, March was shorter than it is now and at the beginning of old April, the Bó Riabhach began to complain about the harshness of the previous month. March at first took little notice, but as the complaining got worse, it decided to teach the cow a lesson. It duly borrowed three days from April, and made them so wet and cold that the Bó Riabhach perished. The story is recorded in another form in the archives of the Folklore Commission for Co. Roscommon, although the brindled cow meets the same fate. 'The three first days of April are called the Rábhach days. The old people say that there was a boastful old cow and when the month of April came she galloped round the field and boasted that she was sure to live when March was passed. When March was passed. When March heard this it got angry and borrowed three days from April and killed the old boastful cow.'

The Folklore Commission also records several stories associated with Eastertime, particularly Good Friday and Easter Sunday.  

From Pollremon, Co, Galway, a school pupil wrote 'On Good Friday the people cut three bits of their hair. No blacksmith works and no one ploughs on that day. People perform their stations in the church also....From twelve to three o'clock on Good Friday people would not leave anything hanging up.'

In Co. Meath 'Eggs collected ...on Good Friday is the cure of a headache. No blood should be shed on Good Friday. When a child would be hung(a)ry on Good Friday they should be let cry three times before (they) it would get any-thing to eat. On Good Friday evening when the people would collect the eggs they would make the sign of the cross on the eggs with soot and them would be the first eggs to be eaten on Easter Sunday morning.'

In Claremorris, Co Mayo  '...some people cut a bit of their hair, for a sacrifice and people always try to sow crops on Good Friday because they never fail. It is very bad to cut your nails on Good Friday because they will never grow. The old people used to shave their horses that day.'

Also in  Claremorris, '

On Easter Sunday morning some people look to the sun and they say that it dances about six o clock. On Sunday morning also it is a custom to eat three or four eggs for your breakfast. Long ago when the people fasted all during lent they made a feast on Easter. They went outside with a big pot and boiled eggs in it. They sat down and kept eating eggs until they sickened themselves. The woman of the house used to hide eggs in the garden. Everyone in the house would look for the eggs and as many eggs as they would get they could eat them for their breakfast.'

So, whatever your belief, or even if you have no belief at all, take heart from the ancestors and enjoy the next few days. 

See www.dúchas.ie for further folklore from the Schools Collection.