Trail marker of Pilgrim Paths Ireland

Pilgrim Paths Ireland (PPI) is a non-denominational representative body for Ireland's medieval pilgrim paths. PPI was founded in 2013 to oversee the development and promotion of Ireland's medieval pilgrimage paths, and consists of 12 community groups supporting specific paths. PPI holds an annual National Pilgrimage Paths Week during Easter, and issues a National Pilgrimage Passport to finishers of the 5 main trails: Cnoc na dTobar, Cosán na Naomh, St. Finbarr's Pilgrim Path, St. Kevin’s Way, and Tochar Phádraig.

Background

Cosán na Naomh at 500 metres

In 1997, a Pilgrim Paths Project was started by the Irish Heritage Council focused on seven medieval routes of pilgrimage.[1][2][3]

In 2013, Pilgrim Paths Ireland (PPI) was founded at a meeting in Nenagh "as an umbrella body for the volunteer groups promoting Ireland’s penitential trails".[2][4]

Irish hillwalking guidebook author and journalist John G O'Dwyer, was elected Chairman and highlighted the "spiritual tourism" potential for Ireland.[2][4][5]

On 19 April 2014, Ireland's first National Pilgrim Paths Day was held on various penitential trails across the country, attracting over 1,700 participants.[6][7][8] On 4 April 2015, a second National Pilgrim Paths Day was held attracting over 3,000 participants.[9][10] In 2016, the event was expanded to a National Pilgrim Paths Week to be held over the Easter festival; the following have been held:

  • 2016 National Pilgrim Paths Week (22–29 March 2016).[11]
  • 2017 National Pilgrim Paths Week (11–17 April 2017).[1]
  • 2018 National Pilgrim Paths Week (31 March – 8 April 2018).[12]
  • 2019 National Pilgrim Paths Week (19–28 April 2019).[13]

National Pilgrim Paths Week 2020, which was scheduled to take place from April 9 to 19, was cancelled due to the COVID pandemic in Ireland.

As of June 2020, PPI represents 12 community groups associated with Ireland's main penitential paths and is considered the national representative body.[14]

Pilgrim Passport

Station of the cross, Knocknadobar

During the Easter 2016 National Pilgrim Paths festival week, the PPI launched the National Pilgrim Passport.[15][16]

At the launch, the Irish Independent described it as the Celtic Camino, and a "pedestrian version of the Wild Atlantic Way".[17]

The passport covers 124 km of Ireland's most important medieval pilgrim paths, with stamping points arranged at the conclusion of each path so that walkers can "earn" their completed passport, in a similar manner to the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage trails in Spain.[15] On completion of all five paths, participants can apply for a Pilgrim Certificate (Irish: Teastas Oilithreachta), from Ballintubber Abbey (which is at the start of the Tochar Phádraig pilgrimage route).[15][18]

As of June 2019, the five routes included on the Pilgrim Passport are:[15][18][19]

Name County Format Start End Length Time Difficulty
Cnoc na dTobar[20][21] Kerry Linear; Mountain St. Fursey's Holy Well Knocknadobar mountain 9.5 km (5.9 mi) 3.5 hours Moderate
Cosán na Naomh[22] Kerry Linear; Mountain Ventry Strand Brandon mountain 18 km (11 mi) 4–5 hours Moderate
St. Finbarr's Pilgrim Path[23] Cork Linear Drimoleague Gougane Barra 37 km (23 mi) 2 days Strenuous
Saint Kevin's Way[24] Wicklow Linear Hollywood or Valleymount Glendalough 30 km (19 mi) 7 hours Moderate
Tochar Phádraig[25] Mayo Linear; Mountain Ballintubber Abbey Croagh Patrick mountain 30 km (19 mi) 10 hours Moderate

14 people were registered as finishers (Irish: Críochnóirí) of the five above walks in 2016, 30 were registered in 2017, and 44 were registered in 2018.[26]

On, 15 January 2017, Irish ultramarathon runner Susan Steele, became the first person to run all 5 paths of the Irish Pilgrim Journey, over a period of 5 consecutive days.[27]

Members

Saint Kevin's Way, Wicklow Gap.

Local penitential path organisations who are members of Pilgrim Paths Ireland are:[14][28]

  1. Cnoc na dTobar, Kerry (at Knocknadobar mountain)[29]
  2. Cosán na Naomh, Kerry (Ventry Strand to Mount Brandon mountain)
  3. Kilcommon Pilgrim Loop, Tipperary
  4. Lough Derg, Donegal (St. Patrick's Purgatory)
  5. Rath/Dysert Pilgrim Path, Clare
  6. Sli Mor Pilgrim's Path, Offaly (Ballycumber to Clonmacnoise)[30]
  7. St. Brigid's Way, Louth/Kildare (Faughart to Kildare)[31]
  8. St. Declan's Way, Waterford/Tipperary[32] (Declán of Ardmore)
  9. St. Finbarr's Pilgrim Path, Cork (Drimoleague to Gougane Barra)
  10. St. Kevin's Way, Wicklow (Hollywood to Glendalough)
  11. Tochar Phádraig, Mayo (Ballintubber Abbey to Croagh Patrick mountain)
  12. Turas Cholmcille, Donegal

Books

  • John G. O'Dwyer (August 2017). Pilgrim Paths in Ireland: A Guide: From Slieve Mish to Skellig Michael. Collins Press. ISBN 978-1848893153.
  • Darach MacDonald; Brian D'Arcy (May 2013). Tochar: Walking Ireland's ancient pilgrim paths. New Island. ISBN 978-1848402478.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pilgrim Paths of Ireland.

References

  1. 1 2 Aoife Barry (28 March 2017). "Ireland's pilgrim paths: 'They're the great leveller - you could be Bill Gates or unemployed'". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 Orla Ryan (18 April 2014). "Fancy finding your inner pilgrim this weekend?". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  3. ↑ "The Pilgrim Paths". Heritage Council. Archived from the original on 2015-03-28. Retrieved 2015-03-03.
  4. 1 2 John G. O'Dwyer (6 April 2018). "Time to unlock tourist potential of our pilgrim paths". Irish Times. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  5. ↑ Eithne Shorthall (18 February 2018). "Our pilgrim routes 'can be paths of glory'". Sunday Times. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  6. ↑ Nicola Anderson. "'Pilgrim Paths' Ireland's answer to Camino de Santiago". Irish Independent. The Heritage Council has now launched a national Pilgrim Paths Day which will take place on Easter Saturday, April 19 – with the initially modest aim that just 1,000 people will be out walking the trails that day.
  7. ↑ O'Dwyer, John (2014-01-14). "Retracing the paths of the pilgrims". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2015-03-04.
  8. ↑ "Pilgrims to walk ancient path from Drimoleague to Gougane Barra". The Southern Star. 17 April 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  9. ↑ John G. O'Dwyer. "Modern-day pilgrims are rediscovering our ancient pathways". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  10. ↑ "Why are pilgrim walks popular again?". Irish Times. 10 October 2015. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  11. ↑ Orla Ryan (25 March 2016). "Want to head outdoors this weekend? Here are some hiking and biking trails". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  12. ↑ "Walk along Ireland's answer to the Camino this Easter". TheJournal.ie. 18 March 2018. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  13. ↑ "Pilgrim Paths Week 2019 – April 19th to 28th". Pilgrim Paths of Ireland. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  14. 1 2 "Ireland's Pilgrim Paths". Pilgrim Paths of Ireland. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Pól Ó Conghaile (13 August 2017). "Irish Camino: First fully guided pilgrim walk launched in Ireland". Irish Independent. Retrieved 3 June 2019. Walkers on Ireland's first fully-guided pilgrim journey can collect stamps in a 'Pilgrim Passport', similar to Spain's Camino de Santiago. "Now that you can do a Camino in Ireland, people are delighted," says John G. O'Dwyer of Pilgrim Paths Ireland, the association of community groups behind the walks.
  16. ↑ "Retracing Christian Pilgrim Paths". Irish Examiner. 21 March 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  17. ↑ Nicola Anderson (18 April 2016). "New 'passport' to put pilgrim paths of Ireland on a par with the Camino". Irish Independent. Retrieved 3 June 2016. A Celtic Camino: A series of ancient Irish pilgrim paths has the potential to become the 'pedestrian' version of the Wild Atlantic Way if it gets the backing of a proper tourism marketing campaign, organisers have said. A new 'passport', like those given to pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago, has now been issued by the Heritage Council - in the hope that it will revitalise routes not widely used since medieval times.
  18. 1 2 "Irish Pilgrim Journey 2018: five ancient and sacred routes to follow". Irish Times. 1 August 2018. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  19. ↑ Aoife Barry (7 August 2017). "Walkers invited to journey along five ancient routes and pick up their 'Pilgrim passport'". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  20. ↑ "Cnoc na dTobar". Pilgrim Paths of Ireland. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  21. ↑ John G. O'Dwyer (29 June 2016). "Cnoc na dTobar Pilgrim Path: A walk for the weekend: Mountain magic underfoot". Irish Times. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  22. ↑ "Cosán na Naomh". Heritage Council. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
  23. ↑ "St Finbarr's Pilgrim Path, Cork". Pilgrim Paths of Ireland. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  24. ↑ "St Kevin's Way". Heritage Council. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
  25. ↑ "Tóchar Phádraig Pilgrim Passport". Pilgrim Paths of Ireland. Retrieved 2 June 2019.
  26. ↑ "Críochnóirí/Finishers". Pilgrim Paths of Ireland. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  27. ↑ Maria Moynihan (2017-06-21). "Guardian of the Sea". The Southern Star (County Cork). Retrieved 2018-04-04. Though if that was not challenging enough, in recent years, she has also become an accomplished endurance athlete, running her first marathon when her youngest son was five months old after reading The Non Runner's Marathon Guide and going on to complete the 200k Kerry Way Ultra and Killarney Hardman, as well as becoming the first person to complete the 125km Pilgrim Path challenge covering five routes in five days in memory of her mother in January.
  28. ↑ "Contact Details for Individual Pilgrim Paths". Pilgrim Paths of Ireland. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  29. ↑ Doherty, Tony (2014-10-25). "Go Walk: Cnoc na dTobar (Knocknadobar), Co Kerry". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2018-04-04.
  30. ↑ "Slí Mór, Offaly". Pilgrim Paths of Ireland. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  31. ↑ "BRIGID'S WAY CELTIC PILGRIMAGE". Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  32. ↑ O'Dwyer, John G (2014-02-15). "Take the pilgrim path". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2018-04-04.
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