Croagh Patrick
A holy mountain and pilgrimage site in County Mayo, Ireland.
Croagh Patrick (Irish: *Cruach Phádraig*, meaning “(Saint) Patrick’s stack”), often called “the Reek,” rises 764 metres (2,507 feet) in County Mayo, Ireland. Its pyramid-shaped summit overlooks Clew Bay and the village of Murrisk, a few kilometres from Westport. The mountain has long been regarded as holy, forming the centre of a prehistoric ritual landscape before becoming linked to Saint Patrick, who is said to have fasted there for forty days.
The name “Croagh Patrick” comes from the Irish *Cruach Phádraig*. Locally it is known as “the Reek,” a Hiberno-English term for a rick or stack. Earlier names include *Cruachán Aigle* or *Cruach Aigle*, appearing in medieval texts such as *Cath Maige Tuired*, *Buile Shuibhne*, *The Metrical Dindshenchas*, and the *Annals of Ulster* for 1113. *Cruachán* is a diminutive of *cruach*, meaning “stack” or “peak.” *Aigle* was an old name for the area; the *Dindsenchas* tells of a Connacht prince named Aigle killed by his uncle Cromderg, while another suggestion links *Aigle* to *aicil*, meaning “eagle.” The Marquess of Sligo, whose seat was at nearby Westport House, holds the titles Baron Mount Eagle and Earl of Altamont, both derived from Croagh Patrick.
Because of its prominence, its quartzite pyramid peak, and its legends, the mountain has long been considered holy. Archaeologist Christiaan Corlett notes that many prehistoric monuments surround and face Croagh Patrick, suggesting it has been a spiritual focus since at least the Neolithic and became the centre of an extensive ritual landscape during the Bronze Age. East of the mountain lies the Boheh Stone, an outcrop with over 260 ancient carvings—one of the most detailed rock art sites in Ireland and one of only two in Connacht. In 1987 it was rediscovered that from this stone, the setting sun appears to roll down Croagh Patrick’s slope in late April and late August, and the stone is thought to have been chosen for this phenomenon. A stone row at Killadangan aligns with a niche in the mountain where the sun sets on the winter solstice. Archaeological surveys have found remains of an enclosure around the mountaintop and dozens of circular huts nearby, showing Bronze Age activity.
In the 7th century, Tírechán wrote that Saint Patrick spent forty days on the mountain, like Moses on Mount Sinai.
Quick Facts
- Other Name
- Cruach Phádraig / 'The Reek'
- Elevation M
- 764
- Prominence M
- 639
- Listing
- P600, Marilyn, Hewitt
- Translation
- (Saint) Patrick's stack
- Language
- Irish
- Location
- County Mayo, Ireland
- Grid Ref Ireland
- L906802
- Topo
- OSi Discovery 30, 31, 37 or 38
- Easiest Route
- Hike
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Croagh Patrick has long been seen as a holy mountain, perhaps because of its prominence, its pyramidal quartzite peak, and the legends associated with it. Archaeologist Christiaan Corlett writes that the large number of prehistoric monuments surrounding and oriented towards Croagh Patrick suggests that the mountain has been a local spiritual inspiration since at least the Neolithic, and during the Bronze Age became the focus of an extensive ritual landscape. A short distance east lies the Boheh Stone, an outcrop covered with ancient rock art; from this stone, the setting sun appears to roll down the slope of Croagh Patrick in late April and late August.
Tírechán, a native of Connacht, wrote in the 7th century that Saint Patrick spent forty days on the mountain, like Moses on Mount Sinai. The 9th century Bethu Phátraic says that Patrick was harassed by a flock of black demonic birds while on the peak, and he banished them into the hollow of Lugnademon by ringing his bell. A later legend tells how Patrick was tormented by a demonic female serpent named Corra or Caorthannach, which he banished into Lough Na Corra below the mountain. There has been a church on the summit since the 5th century; the current church dates to the early 20th century.
Reader's Guide
Croagh Patrick is significant as a mountain that has been a focus of spiritual activity from the Neolithic and Bronze Age through to the present day. Its prehistoric ritual landscape includes the Boheh Stone with over 260 carvings, a stone row at Killadangan aligned with the winter solstice sunset, and remains of a Bronze Age enclosure and circular huts on the mountaintop. The mountain became central to Christian pilgrimage after Saint Patrick's legendary forty-day fast, and thousands of pilgrims climb it every year on Reek Sunday, a custom dating to at least the Middle Ages. The pilgrimage includes rounding rituals at ancient cairns and, for some, climbing barefoot as penance. The mountain's name derives from Irish Cruach Phádraig, and it was earlier known as Cruachán Aigle. A seam of gold discovered in the 1980s was not mined due to local resistance. The mountain's legacy is also reflected in the titles of the Marquess of Sligo: Baron Mount Eagle and Earl of Altamont, both deriving from Croagh Patrick.
Did You Know?
- Croagh Patrick is the fourth-highest mountain in the province of Connacht on the P600 listing.
- The Boheh Stone, east of the mountain, has over 260 carvings and is one of only two such rock art sites in Connacht.
- A seam of gold was discovered in the mountain in the 1980s, but mining was not allowed due to local resistance.
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