Church caretaker John Cummins, and his donkey, were pictured in July 1990 with three members of the Midwest Radio staff, Henry McGlade, Michael Neary and Pat Cafferkey, as they set out with the broadcasting equipment for the Reek summit. Photo: Frank Dolan

From the archives: Broadcasting history created on Croagh Patrick in 1990

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Ahead of Reek Sunday this weekend, Tom Gillespie has been having a look through the archives of The Connaught Telegraph at stories around pilgrimages to Croagh Patrick in years past...

THIRTY-five years ago this week (1990) Midwest Radio reached new heights when the station created history by broadcasting from the summit of Croagh Patrick.

It coincided with the annual pilgrimage to the holy mountain and the undertaking did not have the technology advances that are common place today.

Technicians from the station had been ferrying equipment up the slopes of the Reek on donkey-back in preparation for the occasion.

A special link was set up from St. Patrick’s Church on the summit so that the signal could be relayed to the station’s main transmitter near Kiltimagh.

It was expected that up to 50,000 pilgrims would make the climb on Reek Sunday - the last Sunday in July.

Midwest Radio also relayed the 10 a.m. Mass, celebrated by Fr. John Molloy, Murrisk, around the mountain top for the benefit of the pilgrims still en route to the summit.

Midwest Radio’s technical operator, Michael Neary, told me: “The most difficult task was to arrange the transportation of our equipment up the mountain. For this we had to get a donkey to undertake the hike to the summit.”

Mr. John Cummins from Bertra assisted the radio personnel in their ascent.

As caretaker of the mountain-top church he made up to 40 trips up the Reek to the 2,510 feet high summit each year.

Midwest Radio chief executive Paul Claffey told The Connaught Telegraph: “The transmission of the Mass from the top of Croagh Patrick marked another milestone in the short history of our station.

“It was appropriate that we undertook this venture during the week in which we celebrate the first anniversary of the station going on air (July 1989).

“We were delighted to be able to relay the Mass from the summit as there were thousands of people who would make the climb but for one reason or another were unable to do so.”

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