Saint Patrick's Way: the Pilgrim's Walk
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Saint Patrick’s Way: The Pilgrim Walk Armagh to Downpatrick, Northern Ireland PILGRIM’S GUIDE Walk in the footsteps of Saint Patrick Saint Patrick’s Way: Saint Patrick’s Way: The Pilgrim Walk The Pilgrim Walk I bind unto myself today Saint Patrick’s life, The virtues of the starlit heaven, The glorious sun’s life-giving ray, legacy and landscape The whiteness of the moon at even, The flashing of the lightning free, The whirling wind’s tempestuous shocks, Saint Patrick, the missionary who brought The stable earth, the deep salt sea, Christianity to Ireland, was born around AD 400, Around the old eternal rocks. near the west coast of Roman Britain. Brought to Saint Patrick’s Breastplate (The old lyrics of this traditional hymn have Saint Patrick’s Statue, Slieve Patrick Ireland as a slave around age 16, he tended animals, been attributed to Saint Patrick, and interpreted possibly on Slemish Mountain in County Antrim. as a call for protection on a symbolic journey.) After escaping his captors and Cathedral in Downpatrick. Saint travelling to England and France, Patrick’s link with Armagh is equally he studied to become a cleric, and significant. During his mission, Patrick eventually became Bishop. Patrick travelled around Ireland, converting returned to Ireland in AD 432 as a thousands of pagans and baptising missionary, believing he had been royal chieftains. At this time, Ireland called by the angel Victoricus. was ruled by tribal chiefs. The Ulaid was one of the kingdoms in the north of the Saint Patrick brought his boat ashore country. Its capital was Emain Macha, on Strangford Lough in County Down, or Navan, close to Armagh. at the mouth of the River Slaney near Downpatrick. He went on to establish Following negotiations with a local Ireland’s first Christian church in AD chieftain, Daire, Patrick was given a site 432, in the barn of a local chieftain on the hill at Armagh, where he built at Saul near Downpatrick. his church. The present-day Church of Ireland cathedral stands in this sacred His name and legacy are linked to spot. Patrick established Armagh as a many spiritual sites in County Down, great seat of Christian learning, and and Patrick also died in this county. today it remains the ecclesiastical His final resting place is beside Down centre of Ireland. 2 Saint Patrick’s Way Saint Patrick’s Way 3 Saint Patrick’s Way: Saint Patrick’s Way: The Pilgrim Walk The Pilgrim Walk Belfast Walk in the footsteps of Saint Patrick Start Finish Armagh Navan Downpatrick Centre (A) Scarva Saint Patrick’s Way: The Pilgrim’s Walk is a 132km (82 mile) trail connecting (B) (G) Armagh and Downpatrick as the two locations on the island of Ireland most & Fort Tyrella closely related to Saint Patrick. Saint Patrick’s Way is suitable for leisure walking (C) Newcastle and pilgrimages. The Walk begins at the Navan Centre outside Armagh City, (F) Newry winding through beautiful landscapes and historic cities, to end at Saint (E) Patrick’s final resting place at Down Cathedral in Downpatrick. (D) Approx Distance Rostrevor Pick up a Pilgrim’s Passport at any of the Visitor Information Centres in the Country 132km area. Stamp it at the 10 locations along the route, as a souvenir of your journey. 82 miles When you show your completed Passport at The Saint Patrick Centre in Downpatrick, you receive a Certificate of Achievement. Starting Location End Location Navan Centre & Fort Downpatrick ROUTE SECTIONS The Pilgrim’s Walk takes between 6 -10 days, depending on your pace. While (A) Navan to the Walk is signposted and divided into manageable sections, as detailed here, himself planted an apple Armagh & City Tour it is recommended that you accompany this information with Ordnance Survey Every day is different tree at Ceangoba, an ancient 5km/1 Day maps, available from Visitor Information Centres. The route covers varied topography, from rolling settlement east of Armagh. (B) Armagh to Scarva hills to canal towpaths. Every 20km/1 Day day offers different views The Pilgrim’s Walk leads you and terrain, with a through Armagh and Down’s (C) Scarva to Newry combination of off- and rural, industrial and linen 20km/1 Day on-road trails. With plenty heritage, via canal towpath to the historic city of Newry. (D) Newry to Rostrevor to do and see along the 15km/1 Day way, there are many cafés, restaurants and picnic sites The Walk takes a scenic route (E) Rostrevor to Newcastle for refuelling. through the stunning Mourne 38km/2-3 Days Mountains, through beautiful (F) Newcastle to Tyrella Armagh, the spiritual centre forest to the seaside town 18km/1 Day of Ireland and its oldest of Newcastle. From here, city is the starting point for the Walk travels through (G) Tyrella to Downpatrick exploring Saint Patrick’s life the untamed landscape 16km/1 Day and legacy. Fittingly called the of Murlough Bay Nature Get your Pilgrim’s ‘Orchard County’, Armagh has Reserve, by Dundrum Castle, Passport stamped 4,000 acres of apple orchards. Tyrella Beach and finally to at all 10 locations Beautiful pink blossom adorns Downpatrick. along the route. Follow the signposts the trees in May at the start along the route. of apple season. Saint Patrick 4 Saint Patrick’s Way Saint Patrick’s Way 5 A2 Moneyreagh Chapel Island A23 A 2 M1 South Lisbane 6 Ballyhalbert Saint Patrick’s Way: A3 Saint Patrick’sA22 Way: Lisburn from Belfast Carryduff A7 Mahee M1 M1 M1 Ballygowan A21 Island Kircubbin The Pilgrim Walk B178 The PilgrimR Walk i v Balloo Whiterock A2 e B6 r Portavogie Lurgan A3 A ater Conley 4 Black w B173 A24 Island 9 Killinchy A Saintfield Islandmore Ards 4 A3 Hillsborough Lough A1 Henney Peninsula Rowallane Darragh B6 Craigavon Lough Bow A2 Lough A21 Garden Cross Strangford Erne Creevy Cloughey B77 A7 Lough B3 A Lough A Clea 2 Lough Dairy 2 Portadown 6 Island 9 Aghery Lakes Loughgall B2 Lough Taggart A Shrigley R 2 ive Dromore 4 r L a Crossgar B7 START A g B7 5 a Ballynahinch NAVan Centre A3 0 n Killyleagh Portaferry & Fort B7 A A50 Castle Dillon 2 FINISH 7 Lake Gilford Dromara Drumaness DOWN Gores Salt A The Spa B2 Castle 2 CATHEDRAL Island Island 6 Island Strangford B 2 McAuley’s A25 Tandragee 5 Annacloy B3 Banbridge Drumkeeragh Lake Castlemahon Mt Armagh Forest A Slieve Patrick 28 Corbet B7 2 Loughinisland A 51 A27 B10 4 A Lough r Lake Lough Slieve e Q v u Money i o Lowry Croob il R B2 R e Slievenagriddle 3 f A Lakes Scarva iv f R A e a 2 r Legananny Slievenisky t iv er 8 B Slievenaboley s Downpatrick a Mountain Seeconnell n Mountain k (A) Gosford Loughbrickland n c B1 B10 la 9 Slievegarran B Katesbridge Forest Park (B) Seaforde 2 Loughbrickland 5 Ballyhornan LECALE A 7 B176 Lough A 1 50 B A2 Guns Clough Island Markethill A2 8 Knockiveagh (G) B7 A25 A2 B3 Castlewellan Dundrum Forest Park B25 Annsborough Ardglass A2 (C) Castlewellan C Ballykinler l Lough Island A a Rathfriland 5 n Reavy 0 B180 Killough B r Tyrella Beach y Kilcoo 133 A27 Bryansford e A25 2 B A Murlough 1 R 3 4 i v B25 (F) A A28 A25 e B180 29 N r B8 Tollymore e r w e Forest Park Newcastle B7 iv r R y (E) a n Newtownhamilton R im Dundrum Bay i h Donard v Hilltown B27 S Bessbrook e Forest r Slieve Maggy’s A2 Belleek Mayobridge B8 Slieve Leap 5 A25 Commedagh Newry B8 Bearnagh Slieve KEY Camlough Bloody Spelga Cove Donard Bridge Camlough Mountain Mourne Dam Mountain Chimney Rock Saint Patrick’s Way: Camlough B7 Mountains Slieve Mountain Ring of Slieve Muck Lamagan The Pilgrim Walk Route A Lake 2 N Silent 9 Gullion Burren e Valley w Shanlieve Slieve Binnian Annalong 0 B3 r Rostrevor Wood Cullyhanna y Wee Meigh C Forest Binnian 2 Route Sections 4 (D) a A 3 A1 1 n B25 B Slieve Fathom a Finlieve Gullion Forest l Attical C r Mullaghbawn 3 Warrenpoint 1 Rocky r Slieve Gullion1 Flagstaff e e C F B Kilbroney Mountain t r Annalong This material is Crown Copyright and is g u o e B27 g Forest Park A2 a r 5 l Park v 3 k a 1 ly W i reproduced with the permission of Land and B h Slievemartin n e R W i t l l i Property Services under delegated authority R a l Jonesborough h Mourne e Creggan t R i e Rostrevor Knockshee Lough W v e 30 A r i from the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery B v Wood k e 2 Omeath Ross 9 e l r i Ballymartin Forkhill r Office, © Crown copyright and database rights Killowen K A2 Crossmaglen NIMA CS&LA 156 A 37 1 N Carlingford Kilkeel 0 1 2 3 4 5miles Slieve Foye M1 North Lough Greencastle 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 kilometers M1 from Dublin Carlingford Greenore Cranfield Beach Cranfield Point Saint Patrick’s Way: 6 Saint Patrick’s Way Dundalk The Pilgrim Walk SaintMap Patrick’s Way 7 Saint Patrick’s Way: Saint Patrick’s Way: The Pilgrim Walk The Pilgrim Walk Alan Graham Founder of the Saint Patrick’s Way How did I get the idea of understand what Sir me to pursue the project. When towpaths, over hills and wild places, an Irish Pilgrimage route? Ernest Shackleton meant, I got home, I started to plan the reaching as far as the sea.