Croagh Patrick, Ireland's holy mountain, is one of the best known landmarks in Mayo, Ireland. The mountain is named after the national saint, St Patrick. Looking at a distance from the bottom, the mountain looks very much like the shape of a cone. However, in actual fact, the summit is a flat plain. The mountain has its holy origin due to pagan worship from 3000 BC. St Patrick is said to have spent 40 days on the mountain fasting and praying for the Irish in AD 441. According to a legend, all of Ireland's snakes leapt off the cliff to their deaths when he rang his bell at the edge of a cliff. This explains why Ireland has no snakes.



In July, penitents would make their way to the summit in the saint's honor especially on Garland Friday and Reek Sunday. Most of them climb the mountain barefooted. There is a tiny chapel at the summit where Reek Sunday mass is usually celebrated. It does not matter whether you are a penitent or a visitor, climbing up Croagh Patrick will not fail to give you a wonderful experience. The trail up the mountain starts at Campbell's Pub in Murrisk, where the statue of the St Patrick stands. It takes about two hours to climb to the top of the mountain which is about 765m (2510ft) high. This is indeed a good form of physical exercise and a fine test of your cardio capability. Furthermore, when you reach the summit, you will be able to enjoy sweeping views of the surroundings and admire the splendid sceneries there.

Even at the foot of Croagh Patrick where the statue of the saint stands, you can enjoy wonderful views from there. At the foot of the mountain, looking towards the north, you are able to view Clew Bay with its scattered islands. To the far south, if it is a clear day, you can see wonderful views extending to the blue line of the Perry Mountains.

As the legend says, St Patrick actually drove all the snakes into the sea which explains why there are no snakes in Ireland. However, the fact that Ireland has no snakes could be due to some geographical reasons. Nobody really knows the reason to this mysterious fact. Nonetheless, Croagh Patrick is definitely an interesting place and worthwhile to visit. If you are keen to take a vacation trip and like some adventure and excitement, you can consider choosing Croagh Patrick as your destination. Besides, if you do not like snakes at all, you would certainly not encounter one there!