The origins of the pilgrimage on Mayo's holy mountain, Croagh Patrick
By Tom Gillespie
ON August 4, 1934, some 92 years ago in two weeks' time, The Connaught Telegraph published an article on the origin of St. Patrick’s famous pilgrimage to Croagh Patrick.
The annual pilgrimage, which takes place on the holy mountain on Sunday, had its origin in the fact that St. Patrick spent one whole Lent of 40 days and 40 nights on Croagh Patrick, the beautiful conical hill that rises over the sea on the southern shore of Clew Bay.
The newspaper report went on: Yes, Croagh Patrick is a sacred and beautiful hill. From most points of view, it rises from the sea on the southern shore of the bay as a perfect cone to the height of 2,510 feet. There are larger and loftier masses of mountain in Ireland, but none so striking from its location, and so regular in its outline, especially when viewed from the east.
It commands both land and sea, and has the great advantage of looking down on the most beautiful bay in Ireland, with its hundred islets mirrored in its glancing waters.
The whole rugged coastline of the west - its hills, its cliffs, its havens, its rock-bound islands - can be seen from the lone summit on a clear day as distinctly as if they were stretched at its feet.
Then the vast island plains, their woods and towers and towns, can be traced with perfect distinctness. You can see rivers stealing serpent-like to the sea, the great brown bog in the distance, the clouds resting on Nephin Mountain or the Twelve Pins of Connemara, the far-off hills of Donegal on the horizon’s verge, rising from the main, the smoke of the train rounding Clew Bay, the hookers and fishing boats with their white wings spread to catch the gale, the long waves bursting in streaks of light on the cliffs of Clare Island and Achill. Such a scene, combining at once so much sublimity, variety and beauty, cannot be found anywhere.
It would appear from the narrative in the Book of Armagh that St. Patrick went first from Aughagower to Murrisk, at the base of the mountain. There his car-driver, Totmeel, sickened and died, rather suddenly it would appear, and there they buried him.
Thereafter Patrick, we are told, ascended the summit of the mountain, and remained upon it 40 days and 40 nights - that is the whole of Lent.
The Tripartite tells us that during the time Patrick was on the Reek, he abode there in much discomfort, without drink and without food, from Shrove Tuesday to Holy Saturday.
He was exposed, day and night, to all the hurt of the elements - wind and rain, sunshine at times, but not improbably much snow and hail also, in the early months of spring.
He had the poor shelter of four stones round about him; at night, when he sought to rest, his head was pillowed on a flag, the five stones making the shape of a rude cross - great discomfort surely of body, and no doubt, too, much anguish of mind; but it is by the cross that saints reach their glory.
Hence, all our ancient writers compare St. Patrick on the Reek to Moses on Mount Sinai. Both were bidden by God’s angel to spend the 40 days upon a holy hill; both fasted and prayed for their people; both fought against demons and druids; both, it is said, lived to the same great age of 120 years.
There can be no doubt, too, that St. Patrick suffered much anguish of spirit on the Reek. He was fasting in prayer for his people, over whom the demands of paganism had ruled so long; and the demons resolved, so far as they could, to tempt and torment him.
They covered the whole mountain top in the form of vast flocks of hideous black birds, so dense that Patrick could neither see sky nor earth nor sea.
They swooped down upon him and over him with savage beaks and black wings; they filled the air with discordant screams, making day and night horrible in their cries.
St. Patrick chanted maledictive psalms against them to drive them away, but in vain; he prayed to God to disperse them, but they fled not; he groaned in spirit, and bitter tears coursed down his cheeks, and wet every hair of the priestly chasuble which he wore - still prayers and tears were in vain.
Then he rang the bell loudly against them - it was said its voice had always power to drive away the demons - whereupon they gave way, and to complete their rout, he flung the blessed bell amongst them, and then they fled headlong down the side of the mountain, and over the wide seas beyond Achill and Clare, and were swallowed up in the great deeps, so that for seven years no evil thing was found within the holy shores of Ireland.
The voice of St. Patrick’s bell on the holy mountain was, as it were, the voice of God proclaiming the routing of the demons and the victory of the Cross.
And hence it is said in some of the Lives that all the men of Erin heard the voice of St. Patrick’s bell on the Reek - sounding the triumph of the Cross - and from the same lone height, in one sense at least, it may be said its voice is still heard over all the land.