A New Pilgrimage Trail Across the Sacred Landscape of Ireland
The Ireland West Camino is an exciting new long-distance pilgrimage route spanning approximately 540 kilometres, offering walkers a meaningful journey across the spiritual heart of Ireland. Tracing a westward path from Downpatrick, County Down – the burial place of St Patrick—(with an alternative eastern start at Drogheda, at the mouth of the River Boyne), the Camino leads pilgrims through ten counties before reaching its sacred western destinations: Ballintubber Abbey, Knock Shrine, and ultimately Croagh Patrick, Ireland’s holy mountain, in County Mayo.
Rooted in both ancient pathways and modern walking trails, the Ireland West Camino weaves together Ireland’s rich spiritual heritage, natural beauty, and living rural communities. Walkers encounter rolling farmland, quiet boreens, coastal landscapes, wooded valleys, and historic sites that have shaped Ireland’s story of faith, resilience, and pilgrimage for centuries.
Ballintubber Abbey and the Tóchar Phádraig
A defining feature of the Ireland West Camino is its integration of historic pilgrimage routes, most notably the Tóchar Phádraig (St Patrick’s Pilgrim Path) – re-established by Fr Frank Fahey in 1987, one of Ireland’s oldest known pilgrimage roads. This ancient route once guided pilgrims from Ballintubber Abbey to Croagh Patrick and remains a powerful symbol of Ireland’s enduring spiritual tradition.
Ballintubber Abbey, founded in 1216 and known as “The Abbey that Refused to Die”, stands at the heart of this living pilgrimage landscape. For centuries, it has welcomed pilgrims, offering a place of prayer, rest, and reflection. Today, the Abbey is proud to be a key spiritual waypoint on the Ireland West Camino, reconnecting modern walkers with an unbroken tradition of pilgrimage that stretches back over 800 years.
From Ballintubber, pilgrims can continue westward along the Tóchar Phádraig, following in the footsteps of St Patrick and generations who journeyed towards Croagh Patrick in search of renewal, challenge, and hope.
A Camino for Our Time
The Ireland West Camino is more than a walking route; it is a shared cultural initiative led by ecologist Jeremy Schewe. Its vision is to:
- Celebrate and protect Ireland’s cultural and spiritual heritage
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Jeremuy Schewe Ireland West Camino Tóchar Phadraig July 2024 (11) Copy Support rural tourism and sustainable travel
- Strengthen local economies and communities along the route
Since its launch, the Camino has already attracted significant international interest, with thousands of map downloads across Ireland, the UK, the United States, and mainland Europe – highlighting a growing global appetite for authentic, reflective pilgrimage experiences.
A major multi-county launch event is planned for 22 September 2025 at the Rathcroghan Visitor Centre in County Roscommon, further marking the Camino’s importance as a national and international trail.
Journeying West: From Knock to Croagh Patrick
The final stages of the Ireland West Camino bring pilgrims through County Mayo, with Ballintubber Abbey serving as a key waypoint before the ascent of Croagh Patrick. This section of the route offers walkers both physical challenge and spiritual depth, culminating in one of Ireland’s most revered pilgrimage destinations.
For Ballintubber Abbey, the Ireland West Camino represents a renewed connection between landscape, faith, and community, an invitation to modern pilgrims to walk ancient paths, encounter living history, and experience the sacred rhythm of Ireland’s west.
Whether undertaken in stages or as a full pilgrimage, the Ireland West Camino offers a profound journey of reflection, discovery, and hope, one that places Ballintubber Abbey firmly at the heart of Ireland’s unfolding pilgrimage story.