Ireland West Camino - The Tóchar Phádraig

The Ireland West Camino is 540-km (336 mile) pilgrimage toute with many ancient names, including the Slighe Assail, one of Ireland’s ancient, Bronze Age sacred and royal roads. The route is broken up into three major legs (overall length varies on some options chosen along the way):

Leg 1 - (Slí Mhidhluachra)... Downpatrick to Drogheda (105.4 miles or 169.6 km)

Leg 2 - (Slí Assail)... Downpatrick to Rathcroghan (121.9 miles or 196.1 km)

Leg 3 - (Slí Assail nó Tóchar Phádraig)... Rathcroghan to Croagh Patrick (103.9 miles or 167 km)

This video focus on the 167/181-km (104/112 mile) section of the Ireland West Camino. Beginning at Rathcroghan in County Roscommon, it ends at Ireland’s most sacred mountain, Croagh Patrick in County Mayo. This 3,500 year-old walking pilgrimage has been reawakened and the Irish community is strongly in support of its promulgation.

The last 65-km of the route were restored beginning in 1904, then furthered with the Tóchar Phadraig in 1989, followed by the Croagh Patrick Heritage Trail in the past two decades. This video was created on the maiden voyage to restore the full extent of the walking pilgrimage from February 10-17, 2024, by Jeremy Schewe, Marek Sawicki, Hannah Leigh, and Phil Brown.

Thanks also to the support of Fr. Frank Fahey, who restored the Tóchar Phadraig from Croagh Patrick to Ballintubber Abbey; Sr. Maureen Lally and Mary Prendergast of Croagh Patrick Heritage Trail who extended the Way to Balla and Knock. Thanks to the JCWL Geopark team, Kilmovee Heritage team, Anne Marie Staunton, Maura Walshe, Deirdre Brennan, and all the others not mentioned here who made it possible. Especial thanks to all my brothers and sisters on the Camino Francis and Camino Portugal for the encouragement, and to St. Attracta, St. Ita, St, Brenden, St. Colm Cille, and St. Patrick for the call.

For the shapefiles or ArcGIS Field Maps geospatial maps or application file link, please contact us at Inchanted Journeys until we get it loaded into a public forum.