Pilgrim Paths are routes used to make meaningful journeys to places of spiritual significance. Ireland is a country known for it’s strong religious history. It is therefore not surprising that there is a rich history of pilgrims paths in Ireland. In particular, there are many medieval routes to significant Christian sites. Here is our list of the top 5 Irish Pilgrim Paths.
1. Croagh Patrick
Croagh Patrick is the most famous pilgrimage in Ireland. Following a tradition that is roughly 5,000 years old, thousands of pilgrims climb the mountain on the last Sunday of July each year. People traditionally hiked up barefoot, and many people observe this practice today as an act of penance. At approx. 760m (2,500ft) tall, this pilgrimage is a noteworthy challenge. It’s popularity has also led to significant erosion near the top of the mountain in more recent years.
This pilgrimage is undertaken in honour of St. Patrick. The national saint of Ireland allegedly spent 40 days at the summit, fasting the entire time. It was also from here that he banished all of the snakes from Ireland. Legend goes that he chased them all into the sea after they attacked and pestered him while he fasted on the mountain top.
On our West of Ireland/Connemara tours, you will pass Croagh Patrick as you travel along the Western Way to Westport. Climbing Croagh Patrick is also a popular extra day activity with many of our walkers.
2. St Kevin’s Way
Recognized as one of Ireland’s oldest pilgrimages, St. Kevin’s Way & Glendalough (meaning “Valley of two lakes”) is a long-distance trail that steps through the hills of Wicklow, tracing the footsteps of the 6th-century Saint, St. Kevin, and the pilgrims who journeyed to visit his tomb in the majestic glacial valley of Glendalough. This pilgrimage route follows in his footsteps and attracts visitors seeking spiritual connection and cultural immersion. Glendalough, nestled in the Garden of Ireland, was once a renowned monastic settlement and now attracts people from all over the world with the ancient ruins of St. Kevin’s Church and the iconic Round Tower.
The official St Kevin’s Way route starts at the small village of Hollywood with another alternative starting location at the church at Valleymount. Both of these options mostly follow surfaced roads until they meet at Ballinagee Bridge. From here, the Wicklow Uplands begin and walkers will encounter the best parts of the trail.
Due to this, our St Kevin’s Way walks start from Ballinagee Bridge and we also include walks around Glendalough and on the lovely Avonmore Way which follows the Avonmore River from Rathdrum to Laragh.
The Ghost who loved St. Kevin is a well-known Irish legend that tells of a woman who fell in love with St. Kevin. The woman was already dead and her ghostly spirit began to haunt the saint following him everywhere he went. St. Kevin, however, was not interested in the woman’s affections and rebuked her advances. In some versions of the story, the woman’s love for St. Kevin was so strong that she was eventually granted release from her ghostly existence and allowed to pass on to the afterlife. The tale is often seen as a cautionary reminder of the dangers of unchecked desire and the importance of spiritual purity.
3. The Derrynane Mass Path
In olden times in Ireland, Catholic mass was illegal under British rule. Catholic priests could be sentenced to death for saying mass, and so it was often done in secret. Mass paths were formed, where people from the community would travel and meet at a discreet location to hold mass at a ‘mass rock’.
The Derrynane Mass Path was used by residents of Caherdaniel (Co. Kerry), with many people rowing in from the island to attend mass. There is a 6.3km loop walk which begins at Derrynane House, known as the home of Daniel O’Connell. This is fitting as he is famous for his role in Irish Catholic Emancipation.
The Derrynane Mass Path is also located just off the Kerry Way and is an optional alternative route on our tours there.
4. Mám Éan Pilgrim Trail
Mám Éan, otherwise known as Maumeen or Mamean, is a small pilgrimage site at a pass through the Maumturk mountains in Connemara. Mám Éan, which translated means ‘The Pass of the Birds’, is a quiet and peaceful place. It gives beautiful views all around on a clear day. However, it can also have a unique mystical atmosphere when covered in lower lying clouds.
It is only accessible by foot but worth the effort as you will find a small chapel, mass altar, holy well, a famous rock known as St. Patrick’s bed and a beautiful statue of St. Patrick around the site.
Originally a pre-Christian shrine, Maumeen in the Maumturk Mountains, Co. Galway is where St. Patrick slept on one of the stones in the 5th century. The pilgrim tradition has continued ever since with thousands attending mass here every St. Patrick’s day and an Easter Mass held on Good Friday.
Pilgrims and visitors of all creeds are welcome at the shrine where locals would in pagan times have celebrated the start of the harvest season on the first Sunday in August called Lughnasa (pronounced “Loo-nasa”). Centuries ago crowds would gather at the site offering prayer and gifts to the deities and thereafter celebrate with poteen (Irish moonshine), music and dancing. You may still see offerings or piles of stones left at the shrine or well to this day. As with all pilgrim sites in the Ireland of old, it was a great opportunity to meet new faces and it is rumoured many a marriage match was made at Maumeen. In 1834 a dispute happened between the Joyce’s and their Connemara opponents and by the 1900’s the significance of the pilgrimage had fallen away. When religious Catholic activity was banned in the 17th and 18th century, Maumeen was a site for a secret outdoor church also known as a mass rock.
Maumeen is one of the three great Patrician shrines. The most well known Croagh Patrick attracts over 120,000 people each year who climb the challenging slopes sometimes in bare feet. This is known as the most physical of the Patrician pilgrimages. Lough Derg is the most penitential of the pilgrimages with over 11,000 people a year staying on the island in the lake for up to 3 days with a key focus on prayer. Maumeen is the most accessible of all of them and is the most spiritual of the three great pilgrimages. The church and statue are relatively recent additions to the shrine completed in the 1980’s. Surrounding the shrine are 12 Stations of the Cross with uniquely carved Celtic crosses. The statue of Patrick by Cliodhna Cussen weighs 1.5 tons and had to be airlifted there by helicopter. The sculptor hoped that the overall effect of the statue was to suggest peace and welcome at this magical spot. You can visit Maumeen on our Connemara tour.
There is a carpark located at the Inagh side of the pass which is just a 1.5km walk to the site but longer routes are possible and you will also pass Mám Éan while walking the Western Way from Maam to Inagh.
Quietly reflecting as he overlooks the valley, Patrick now stands as a welcoming spiritual sentry on the ancient pilgrim site. Sculptor: Cliodhna Cussen
5. Kerry Camino
The Kerry Camino, modelled after the Camino de Santiago is a pilgrimage in County Kerry that connects Tralee and Dingle. The 3-day hike follows in the footsteps of St. Brendan the Navigator along the Dingle Way. There is beautiful scenery the entire way along the hike, taking in mountains and coastlines alike. Small villages dot the way, where you can stop, rest, and chat with the locals. Stamping stations are also frequently placed along the Kerry Camino so that you can validate your hike and complete your pilgrim passport, much like the Camino de Santiago.
The Kerry Camino hiking trail commences at St. John’s Church in Tralee, and ends at St. James’ Church in the fishing town of Dingle. St. James’ Church in Dingle which was originally built by Spanish merchants and dedicated to St. James of Santiago de Compostela. For this reason, Dingle was a famous departure point for Irish pilgrims setting sail for Northern Spain on their way to the tomb of the saint. Launched by Kerry locals in 2012, this trail aims to evoke the spirit of St. Brendan, inviting walkers to follow in his footsteps along a segment of the Dingle Way trail. There are over 100 references to Brendan’s seafaring in historical manuscripts so much so that he is one of the patron Saints of the U.S. Navy.
Some scholars believe St. Brendan discovered America prior to Christopher Columbus. Departing from Brandon Creek on the Dingle Peninsula. It is claimed that with up to 16 fellow monks, he may have reached American shores between 512 AD and 530 AD in a leather covered masted currach.
The perilous journey was recreated in a replica craft by Tim Severin in 1976 and documented by a TV series as well as a best selling book. Along the way, just like Brendan he stopped at the Hebrides, the Faroe Islands and Iceland (where they spent the winter). 13 months later he landed in Newfoundland thereby proving that Brendan’s discovery of America was possible.
The Island of Sheep is mentioned in the Navigatio Sancti Brendani Abbatis (a medieval record of his adventures) which is believed to be the Faroe Islands, St. Brendan was commemorated in a stamp in 1994.
If you wish to follow in St. Brendan’s steps Hillwalk Tours offer a 5-Day Kerry Camino tour which includes overnight stays in Tralee, Camp, Annascaul and Dingle Town.
