Croagh Patrick, Connemara Ireland

Last weekend, it was the last Sunday in July. This is the traditional day to climb Croagh Patrick in Connemara, which is seen as the holy mountain of St. Patrick. I climbed it many years ago. This year 18,000 people made the trek up the 2500 foot mountain, some in bare feet. It is seen as a pilgrimage and for some a penance! At the top of the mountain a small church exists, and there is a flat area around the size of a small football field. Mass is held there on the pilgrimage Sunday. The above photo is taken from an image library, www.wetcanvas.com, and looks similar to Croagh Patrick in shape but appears smaller. I don't think it is Croagh Patrick but gives an idea of what the mountain is like. Croagh Patrick is more of an exact triangle shape, and has a steep drop on the front side down to Clew bay, so the route of climbing approaches from the side and then the back. One section of the climb is steep scree and quite difficult in parts, but mostly it's just a slog. Connemara is also one of the wetter parts of Ireland, receiving a lot of rain from the Atlantic -- so that makes even small mountains in Ireland difficult. I have climbed to 14,000 feet in other drier countries but failed to climb some mountains of 2-3000 feet in Ireland, due to the weather! This is what catches a lot of people unawares in hiking in this country. Anyway hope you enjoyed this little glimpse of Ireland, and check back to see more updates of my oil painting.