'Light a candle before you go, include strangers in your group and no complaining." With these words from Fr Frank Fahey of Ballintubber Abbey, we become genuine pilgrims with entitlement to complete the Tóchar Phádraig, Ireland's oldest and most renowned penitential path.
I'm in Mayo to temporarily join a group finishing the first Irish pilgrim journey – 120km of medieval paths. Before the off, however, we are reminded that early Tóchar pilgrims didn't have such self-indulgent fripperies as boots. Passing the remains of baths, Fr Fahey says penitents bathed here after their barefoot walk to Croagh Patrick.
Then it’s on through a landscape drenched in history and myth-making potential. Stories are told of holy wells, priest hunters, flax mills and villages entirely obliterated by the Famine hunger.
A sudden shower draws an immediate “Oh no, not more rain” from me, immediately followed by a group admonition: “no complaining”.
Initially it’s all low-lying fields and woodland paths before the route suddenly dives into the wildest of Mayo countryside – rural and raw, genuinely unsanitised, pilgrim terrain. However, excellent signposting ensures that we eventually rejoin tarmac.
Further on, arrows point to the wildflower-rich banks of the Aille river, which remain much as they were in ancient times. Ascending to higher ground, we are immediately rewarded, for filling the horizon is the symmetrical quartzite cone of Ireland's holiest and handsomest hill. This was undoubtedly a moment of joyful epiphany for fatigued medieval penitents. For us, it's a place to take the obligatory selfies.
Onwards, with nearly every wood, lane, mass rock and stream laden with sagas. There is a poignant famine graveyard and cliffs where the jewels of Connacht are reputedly secreted. Later, the path traverses a deserted village before gaining the view of Cloondachon Hill and descending into pretty Aughagower.
In the village we find a medieval church, 10th-century round tower and, more importantly, a shop with attached pub. The group tumbles in for a pit stop.
Beyond Aughagower, we descend fields to coalesce with a road where the terrain changes. On mostly serene, tree-lined country roads we make our final approach to "the Reek". Off-road, we pass the Boheh Stone, a scene of druidic worship that was reputedly a mass rock for St Patrick; we are amazed that it is in the back garden of a derelict house.
One last excursion through fields and a crossing of the Owenwee brings us to a road skirting the overwhelming emptiness of Croagh Patrick’s great south face. Continuing along this, we reach a base for Mayo Mountain Rescue. Here, a path leads steeply upwards to join the modern pilgrim trail on Croagh Patrick, which we follow downhill to Murrisk.
Those finishing the full Irish pilgrim journey then head off joyfully to obtain their final passport stamp. The rest of the non-completionists enjoy a self-congratulatory coffee, secure in the knowledge we have, like penitents past, defeated distance on the Causeway of St Patrick.
The next guided Tóchar walk is on Saturday, August 27th. Information from ballintubberabbey.ie or 094-9030934
Start: Ballintubber Abbey is off the N84 about 14km from Castlebar. Register for the Tóchar (€10).
Finish: Murrisk.
Time: 10 hours
Suitability: Low-level walk, but rises to almost 500m on Croagh Patrick.
