Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Sight and sound from the holy mountain as pilgrims climb Croagh Patrick in Mayo.
The last Sunday in July is Reek Sunday when pilgrims climb Croagh Patrick. People from across the country and overseas take part in the centuries old penitential exercise.
In accordance with the wishes of Most Rev Dr Cunnane, Archbishop of Tuam, the pilgrimage this year took place during daylight hours.
The pilgrimage pays tribute back to the time of Saint Patrick who spent forty days and forty nights on the mountain. Today, pilgrims mark the occasion by climbing The Reek. The pilgrimage season runs from June to September. Masses are held in the oratory at the summit of the mountain.
Along the pilgrim trail, traders sell wares from religious souvenirs to refreshments for the journey. There are even rubber snakes on show as a reminder of what the mountain was like in St Patrick's time.
Some pilgrims make the climb the traditional way, barefoot. For some, the ascent proves too much with one pilgrim being carried down the mountain on a stretcher. There is a sense of relief for those who reach the peak who take time for a break before beginning to the descent back down the mountain.
It is an endurance test in itself just to go up and come down.
RTÉ News report broadcast on broadcast on 25 August 1979.
Sight and sound from the holy mountain as pilgrims climb Croagh Patrick in Mayo.
The last Sunday in July is Reek Sunday when pilgrims climb Croagh Patrick. People from across the country and overseas take part in the centuries old penitential exercise.
In accordance with the wishes of Most Rev Dr Cunnane, Archbishop of Tuam, the pilgrimage this year took place during daylight hours.
The pilgrimage pays tribute back to the time of Saint Patrick who spent forty days and forty nights on the mountain. Today, pilgrims mark the occasion by climbing The Reek. The pilgrimage season runs from June to September. Masses are held in the oratory at the summit of the mountain.
Along the pilgrim trail, traders sell wares from religious souvenirs to refreshments for the journey. There are even rubber snakes on show as a reminder of what the mountain was like in St Patrick's time.
Some pilgrims make the climb the traditional way, barefoot. For some, the ascent proves too much with one pilgrim being carried down the mountain on a stretcher. There is a sense of relief for those who reach the peak who take time for a break before beginning to the descent back down the mountain.
It is an endurance test in itself just to go up and come down.
RTÉ News report broadcast on broadcast on 25 August 1979.
