Path repairs on reek urgently needed
AS thousands of people get set to climb Croagh Patrick this weekend for the annual Reek Sunday pilgrimage, Mountaineering Ireland has highlighted the urgent need for path repair work on one of Ireland’s most visited mountains.
The organisation has called on Mayo County Council and all other stakeholders to urgently seek a solution to the path erosion on the Reek. There is an urgent need for a management plan with a properly funded programme of path repair work to protect the mountain from further degradation, they say.
The mountain is believed to be a site of continual pilgrimage for more than 1,500 years. However, in more recent times, the footfall of pilgrims has been added to by hillwalkers, visitors to nearby Westport, and participants in a growing number of charity and challenge events.
It is believed that upwards of 100,000 people ascend Croagh Patrick every year. On Reek Sunday alone, between 20,000 and 30,000 people are expected to climb the mountain.
The impact of the increased footfall is visible. The main path is eroding and widening and is now over 30 metres wide in certain sections.
For the past number of years Mountaineering Ireland has worked with local stakeholders to bring forward plans to help protect the fabric of the mountain and to minimise further path erosion. In 2012, working in conjunction with Murrisk Development Association, Mountaineering Ireland facilitated an assessment of erosion on the pilgrim route. This work was undertaken by Elfyn Jones, a leading international expert in this field, following a request from Fáilte Ireland. The process included consultation with a large group of local stakeholders including landowners, Murrisk Development Association, representatives of the Catholic Church, Mayo Mountain Rescue, Fáilte Ireland, Mayo County Council, South Mayo Development Company, recreational users, archaeological interests and the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
The report which followed called for coordinated intervention to protect Croagh Patrick and to minimise further erosion. It broke the main pilgrim path route to the summit into five sections and suggested work on four of the five sections to contain and stabilise the continuing path erosion, with an estimated cost of €1.5 million. Such work needs to be sympathetic to the local character of the mountain and be durable and sustainable.
In addition to the path repair works, the report made recommendations for the future management of visitor activity on Croagh Patrick, including longer term maintenance of the path.
Path erosion is emerging as an issue of concern on other Irish mountains including Carrauntoohil in Co. Kerry, Galtymore in Co. Tipperary and Errigal in Co. Donegal. Through an initiative called Helping the Hills, Mountaineering Ireland has worked with other organisations to develop a set of principles to guide the management of path erosion in Ireland’s upland areas.
The principles focus on the need for a considered, quality approach to managing path erosion so as to ensure that interventions are effective and do not detract from the character of the upland environment. The principles also focus on the need for effective communication in the management of upland paths.
Proposed repair and management works should be informed by consultation with all stakeholders, including landowners, recreational users, relevant statutory bodies and the local community.
* Archbishop Michael Neary will lead the national pilgrimage this Sunday. On the summit, the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confessions) will be available from 7.30 am until 2 pm. The first Mass will be celebrated at 8 am and every half hour thereafter until the final Mass at 2 pm. The 10 am Mass will be celebrated in Irish.
Archbishop Neary will begin the ascent at 7 am from the car park in Murrisk. He will celebrate Mass on the summit at 10.30 am.