"celebrating the landscapes of the British Isles through photography"
County Sligo and Mayo
Croagh Patrick - County Mayo
Looking towards Croagh Patrick, also known as the "The Reek" from Old Head Beach picturesquely situated on the edge of dense forests. The ancient tradition of pilgrimage to The Reek is said to stretch back over 5,000 years without interruption with pagans being thought to have gathered here to celebrate the beginning of harvest season. It’s more modern religious association is of course with St Patrick and on ‘Reek Sunday’, the last Sunday in July every year, over 15,000 often barefoot pilgrims climb to its summit. Croagh Patrick forms part of a U-shaped valley created by a glacier flowing into Clew Bay during the last Ice Age and is part of a longer east-west ridge with Ben Gorm forming the most western peak.
