A group of pilgrims walked a 10-mile stretch of the Tóchar Phádraig pilgrim path before climbing Croagh Patrick in Co Mayo yesterday. Heavy mists, hailstone showers and driving rain shrouded the 765m peak.
The annual pilgrimage, led by the Ballintubber Abbey curate, Father Frank Fahey, includes 10 miles of the Tóchar Phádraig (Patrick's Causeway) which was built before the arrival of St Patrick. It is believed that the path, a national monument, was originally a major chariot route leading from the seat of the Kings of Connacht, at Cruachan, Co Roscommon, to Croagh Patrick, or Cruachan Aigli as it was known in pre-Christian times.
"The entire walk, from Ballintubber, takes up to 12 hours usually," explained Father Fahey. "So we always do a shorter stretch today. Starting out from the round tower village of Aghagower, we stop at the megalithic passage graves and standing stones at Lankhill, and then the famous Rock of Boheh on the south-eastern slopes of the mountain.
"The penitential theme of the day is that nobody is allowed complain," he said.
Ms Elaine Devereux, from Castlebar, has walked the Tóchar Phádraig "dozens of times", but yesterday was her first outing on St Stephen's Day.
"It is extremely poignant to do the walk today since St Stephen is classified as the first Christian martyr," she said.
"The landscape is simply littered with so many pre-Christian and Christian artefacts."