Yesterday was a proud day at Croagh Patrick as Minister Heather Humphreys TD levered a stone into place to mark the conclusion of the three-year Croagh Patrick Sustainable Access & Habitat Restoration Project.

The onlooking crowd included representatives from the Department of Rural & Community Development and Mayo County Council, who funded the project, elected representatives including Michael Ring TD and Minister Alan Dillon TD, representatives from Murrisk Development Association, shareholders on the mountain, representatives from the Church and other organisations that are part of the Croagh Patrick Stakeholders Group, including Mountaineering Ireland.

Croagh Patrick path team members Matt McConway, Frank McMahon, David Doyle and Julio de Jesus were on hand to assist the Minister, and to hear the praise for their three years of selfless commitment and craftsmanship to heal the erosion scar on Croagh Patrick. The final team member Bernard Burke is in Canada, but was with them in spirit. The path-building technique used on the summit cone at Croagh Patrick was developed in response to the unique challenges of the site, it was truly pioneering and the execution is world-class.

Perhaps proudest of all was Martin Keating, who has chaired the Croagh Patrick Stakeholders Group since it was established in 2015, helping the stakeholders find a sense of common purpose by focusing on what was best for the mountain.

It’s been a long journey, Mountaineering Ireland first became involved in 2012 when Elfyn Jones (then BMC and formerly a path manager with the National Trust) came over to advise on how the erosion and related management issues on Croagh Patrick could be addressed.

Yesterday marked the closing of one chapter, but also the start of another, resources will be needed to maintain the path and manage visitor activity on the mountain. Path team member David Doyle is staying on to support the Croagh Patrick Stakeholders Group in that work, with help from the Croagh Patrick Ambassadors and a number of dedicated Mountaineering Ireland volunteers that have given their time and energy to assist the path team over the last two years.

To learn more about the Croagh Patrick project, check out the Croagh Patrick Path Team Facebook page or the Climb the Reek YouTube channel.