Tag Archives: County Mayo

Lens-Artists Challenge #254 – Spiritual Sites

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At the beginning of June, my family and I climbed Croagh Patrick, here in County Mayo, Ireland, as part of a fund-raiser to raise money for our local community park. Over 80 people from our community climbed the 764 m mountain. Croagh Patrick has long been seen as a spiritual place for Irish people.

Chapel on the summit of Croagh Patrick

Saint Patrick, the saint who brought Christianity to Ireland, is supposed to have climbed the mountain, and spent 40 days fasting there. Today, thousands of people climb it every year – some in bare feet, some on pilgrimage, and some just for the challenge.

Inside the chapel

Prior to Christianity, it was a sacred place to our ancestors. It was a place the Celts came to celebrate the Celtic sun god, Lugh, and it is thought that over 3,000 years our Neolithic ancestors may also have climbed it.

View part of the way up – looking over Clew Bay

I find my peace in nature. And you can see why people would have climbed this mountain, for the views it affords from all around, of the beautiful bay, mountains and farmland.

View from summit

It stands out in the landscape with it’s distinctive shape and you can imagine how people would have wanted to climb to the top.

Many thanks to Tina for this week’s Challenge.