Saint Patrick’s Way: The Pilgrim Walk Visitor Emergency Information Contacts Armagh to Downpatrick, Northern Ireland Centres Dial 999 in an emergency PILGRIM’S GUIDE Armagh Visitor requiring Police, Fire, Information Centre Ambulance, Coastguard T: 028 3752 1800 or Mountain Rescue Banbridge Visitor In a non-emergency Information Centre case, dial 101 for the T: 028 4062 0232 Police Service Downpatrick Visitor of Northern Ireland Information Centre T: 028 4461 2233 Newcastle Visitor Information Centre T: 028 4372 2222 Newry Visitor Information Centre T: 028 3031 3170 For further, up to date information on accommodation, what to see and do, attractions, activities and events while completing the Pilgrim Walk, please visit www.visitarmagh.com www.visitmournemountains.co.uk During the walk, we highly recommend that you follow the Leave No Trace principles. Visit www.leavenotraceireland.org for further information. Walk in the footsteps of Saint Patrick Saint Patrick’s Way 2 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. 1 Saint Patrick’s Way Saint Patrick’s Way 2 Saint Patrick’s Way: Saint Patrick’s Way: The Pilgrim Walk The Pilgrim Walk Walk in the footsteps of Saint Patrick Saint Patrick’s Way: The Pilgrim’s Walk is a 132km (82 mile) trail connecting Armagh and Downpatrick as the two locations on the island of Ireland most closely related to Saint Patrick. Saint Patrick’s Way is suitable for leisure walking and pilgrimages. The Walk begins at the Navan Centre outside Armagh City, winding through beautiful landscapes and historic cities, to end at Saint Patrick’s final resting place at Down Cathedral in Downpatrick. Pick up a Pilgrim’s Passport at any of the Visitor Information Centres in the area. Stamp it at the 10 locations along the route, as a souvenir of your journey. When you show your completed Passport at The Saint Patrick Centre in Downpatrick, you receive a Certificate of Achievement. The Pilgrim’s Walk takes between 6 -10 days, depending on your pace. While the Walk is signposted and divided into manageable sections, as detailed here, it is recommended that you accompany this information with Ordnance Survey maps, available from Visitor Information Centres. Follow the signposts Navan Centre & Fort, Navan along the route. Get your Pilgrim’s Passport stamped at all 10 locations along the route. 3 Saint Patrick’s Way Saint Patrick’s Way 4 Saint Patrick’s Way: Saint Patrick’s Way: Approx The Pilgrim Walk Distance The Pilgrim Walk 132km 82 miles Country Start Finish Armagh Navan Downpatrick Centre (A) Scarva (B) (G) & Fort Tyrella (C) Newcastle (F) Newry (E) (D) Rostrevor Starting Location End Location Navan Centre & Fort Downpatrick ROUTE SECTIONS Every day is different himself planted an apple The route covers varied tree at Ceangoba, an ancient (A) Navan to topography, from rolling settlement east of Armagh. Slieve Donard from Armagh & City Tour hills to canal towpaths*. Every Murlough Bay 5km/1 Day day offers different views The Pilgrim’s Walk leads you (B) Armagh to Scarva and terrain, with a through Armagh and Down’s 20km/1 Day combination of off- and rural, industrial and linen on-road trails. With plenty heritage, via canal towpath* (C) Scarva to Newry to do and see along the to the historic city of Newry. 20km/1 Day way, there are many cafés, (D) Newry to Rostrevor restaurants and picnic sites The Walk takes a scenic route 15km/1 Day for refuelling. through the stunning Mourne Mountains, through beautiful Tyrella Beach (E) Rostrevor to Newcastle Armagh, the spiritual centre forest to the seaside town 38km/2-3 Days of Ireland and its oldest of Newcastle. From here, the Walk travels through (F) Newcastle to Tyrella city is the starting point for 18km/1 Day exploring Saint Patrick’s life the untamed landscape and legacy. Fittingly called the of Murlough Bay Nature (G) Tyrella to Downpatrick ‘Orchard County’, Armagh has Reserve, by Dundrum Castle, 16km/1 Day 4,000 acres of apple orchards. Tyrella Beach and finally to Beautiful pink blossom adorns Downpatrick. the trees in May at the start of apple season. Saint Patrick Mourne Mountains *a road/trail along the bank of a river, canal, or other inland waterway. 5 Saint Patrick’s Way Saint Patrick’s Way 6 A2 Moneyreagh Chapel Island A23 A 2 M1 South Lisbane 6 Ballyhalbert A3 A22 Lisburn from Belfast Carryduff A7 Mahee Saint Patrick’s Way: Saint Patrick’s Way: M1 M1 M1 Ballygowan A21 Island Kircubbin B178 R The Pilgrim Walk The Pilgrimi Walk 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 NAVAN CENTRE 5 a Ballynahinch A3 0 n Killyleagh Portaferry & FORT B7 A A50 Castle Dillon 2 FINISH 7 Lake Gilford Dromara Drumaness ST PARTICk’SGores Salt A The Spa B2 Castle 2 CENTRE 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 (B) Slievegarran B Katesbridge Forest Park Seaforde 2 Loughbrickland 5 Ballyhornan LECALE A 7 B176 Lough A 1 50 B A2 Guns A Clough Island Markethill 28 (G) Knockiveagh B7 A25 A2 B3 Castlewellan Dundrum Forest Park B25 Annsborough Ardglass (C) A2 C Castlewellan 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 (F) B25 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 Saint Patrick’s Way: Chimney Rock 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 Route Sections Meigh C (D) Forest Binnian 2 4 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 This material is Crown Copyright and is e C F B Kilbroney Mountain t r Annalong g u o e B27 g Forest Park A2 a r 5 l Park v reproduced with the permission of Land and 3 k a 1 ly W i B h Slievemartin n e R W i t l Property Services under delegated authority l i R a l Jonesborough h Mourne e Creggan t R i e Rostrevor Knockshee Lough W v e from the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery 30 A r i B v Wood k e 2 Omeath Ross 9 e l r i Ballymartin Office, © Crown copyright and database rights Forkhill r 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: 7 Saint Patrick’s Way Dundalk The Pilgrim Walk SaintMap Patrick’s Way 8 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.