Croagh Patrick

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Croagh Patrick

Elevation	764 m (2,510 ft)
Location	Mayo, Ireland
Prominence	640 m
Coordinates	53.760047° N 9.659536° W
Topo map	OSi Discovery 30, 31, 37 or 38
OSI/OSNI grid reference	L906802
Listing	Marilyn, Hewitt
Translation	Patrick's mountain (Irish)

Croagh Patrick is a 764 m (2,510 ft) mountain in the west of Ireland and an important site of pilgrimage. It is located 8 km (5 miles) from Westport, County Mayo above the villages of Murrisk and Lecanvey. On "Reek Sunday", the last Sunday in July every year, over 25,000 pilgrims climb the mountain, many of whom climb barefoot. The mountain forms the south part of a U-shaped valley created by a glacier flowing into Clew Bay in the last Ice Age. Croagh Patrick is part of a longer east-west ridge; to the west is the mountain Ben Goram. Croagh Patrick derives its name from the Irish Cruach Phádraig ("Saint Patrick's mountain") although it is known locally as the Reek. In the Annals of Ulster entry for the year 1113, the mountain is named Cruachán Aigle ("eagle mountain").

1 Pilgrimage
2 The chapel at the summit
3 Gallery
4 See also
5 References
6 Bibliography
7 External links

[edit] Pilgrimage

Croagh Patrick has been site of pilgrimage, especially at the summer solstice, since before the arrival of Celtic Christianity in the first century; possibly since before the arrival of the Celts. At present it is named for Saint Patrick, who reputedly fasted on the summit of Croagh Patrick for forty days in the fifth century and built a church there. It is said that at the end of Saint Patrick's 40-day fast, he threw a bell down the side of the mountain, banishing all the snakes and serpents of Ireland.

A Civil Defence survey conducted on July 30, 2006 indicated that there were approximately 15,000 pilgrims in 2006, fewer than in previous years, but heavy rain early that morning had been a deterrent. Two thirds of the pilgrims in 2006 were male. The pilgrims included participants from Sweden, Denmark, Australia, Brazil, the Netherlands, Italy, Latvia, India, Hungary and Canada. There were 3,500 first-time climbers ^[1].

[edit] The chapel at the summit

In modern times, a small chapel was built on the summit, and dedicated on the July 20, 1905. On July 31, 2005, during the annual pilgrimage to Croagh Patrick, or "Reek Sunday" as it is known locally, a plaque commemorating the centenary of the building and dedication of the chapel was unveiled by Most Rev. Michael Neary, Archbishop of Tuam.

Having celebrated the centenary of the building of the church on the summit, it was decided^{[citation needed]} in 2005 to open the church every day during the summer, rather than only on holy days. Mass is celebrated in the church every last Sunday in July (Reek Sunday) and every August 15. The church is opened by information guides and welcomes pilgrims after the hard climb.