Croagh Patrick Heritage Trail
Long Distance Waymarked Way · Mayo
Croagh Patrick Heritage Trail is a 59.9 km strenuous waymarked linear route in Mayo, starting near Balla.
Grade
| Activity | Grade | Difficulty | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walking | Strenuous | Challenging | 3 days |
Getting there
Starts at Balla.
Finishes at Murrisk.
- Trailhead coordinates
- 53.80467, -9.13093
- Irish Grid reference
- M 255 845
- Ordnance Survey sheets
- Discovery Series Sheets 31 and 38 (*finishes on edge of 30)
The National Trails Register's own latitude and longitude fields are empty for all 1,186 trails on it. This trailhead comes from Sport Ireland's separate Trailheads dataset, matched to this trail on its register ID.
About the trail
The dazzling quartzite pyramid of Croagh Patrick (764m), which dominates the land south of Clew Bay in the west of Ireland, has been a holy mountain since before Christian times. Ireland's fifth-century patron saint, St Patrick, is said to have made it his own when he fasted on its summit for forty days, and ever since it has been an important place of Christian pilgrimage: over 15,000 pilgrims climb to the top every year on the last Sunday of July each year, traditionally known as €˜Reek Sunday'. The Croagh Patrick Heritage Trail is a 61 km linear walking route that extends from the village of Balla in County Mayo, an early Christian monastic site with a broken round tower, to the village of Murrisk, site of a 15th century Augustinian friary, at the foot of the mountain. The route follows parts of an old pilgrim route as it wanders through the rural landscape of west Mayo towards the holy mountain, passing by a rich heritage of monuments and buildings including early churches, holy wells and castles. Walkers may want to linger in the village of Aghagower, a monastic site where they will find a 12th century church and the remains of another round tower, and at the Clogher Heritage Centre which includes a working blacksmith's forge. Also along the route is Brackloon Wood, a rare oakwood, and a survivor from the time when much of Ireland was covered with such trees. The terrain consists mainly of stone-walled quiet side roads, forestry tracks, field paths and open moorland (some of which can be wet). The aggregate climb over the whole route is about 300 metres, most of which is at the end of the route. For more information follow link www.mayowalks.ie/ and http://www.croaghpatrickheritagetrail.com/
Before you go
There may be waymarking, trail surface and trail furniture issues at some points along the trail. ***Dogs not permitted on the Croagh Patrick Heritage Trail***
- Waymarking
- Yellow arrow on black background
- Dogs
- No
Who manages it
Clogher Environmental Group
Clogher Environmental Group, Clogher Community Centre, Claremorris, Mayo, F12 EK24. Tel: 094 93 60891 Email: [email protected]
Conditions and closures change. The operator is the authority on both, not this page.
Trails nearby
Measured trailhead to trailhead, in a straight line.
- Crucspullagadaun Loop Walk 2.9 km away · 9.2 km trail
- Clogher Holy Well Loop 8.0 km away · 5.3 km trail
- Clogher - Bog Loop 8.9 km away · 8.2 km trail
- Clogher - Clooncundra Loop Walk 8.9 km away · 6.6 km trail
- Clogher - Newtown Forest Trail 8.9 km away · 3.5 km trail
- Great Western Greenway - Castlebar to Turlough 12 km away · 9.4 km trail
Common questions
How long is the Croagh Patrick Heritage Trail?
59.9 km, recorded as a linear route on Sport Ireland's National Trails Register. It climbs 310 m in total. Sport Ireland estimates 3 days.
How hard is the Croagh Patrick Heritage Trail?
Sport Ireland grades it Strenuous, with an overall difficulty of Challenging. Grades are set against national criteria, so they are comparable with other registered trails.
Where does the Croagh Patrick Heritage Trail start?
Starts at Balla. The trailhead is at 53.80467, -9.13093 (Irish Grid M 255 845).
Can you bring a dog on the Croagh Patrick Heritage Trail?
No. The register records dogs as not allowed on this trail.
Who manages the Croagh Patrick Heritage Trail?
Clogher Environmental Group. They are the authority on current conditions and closures, not this page.
More in Mayo
Trail data from the Sport Ireland National Trails Register, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Trailhead coordinates from the companion Trailheads dataset. Snapshot taken 2026-08-13.