The Croagh Patrick Stakeholders Group was formed in November, 2015 as a community response to concerns over the condition of the mountain together with concerns around safety, liability of shareholders and landowners, the status of the Croagh Patrick as Ireland’s Holy Mountain, and the absence of structures to manage the impact of growing numbers of recreational users on the natural environment, habitats, and ecosystems of the area.
Following a tender process, the stakeholder group recently appointed Walking the Talk, a UK based consultancy firm with substantial experience in upland path repair and management in Scotland and Ireland to report on the path condition on Croagh Patrick and formulate proposals for its repair and management. Chris York, from Walking the Talk commenced the field work for the project in the last week with a visit to the area during which he met the Croagh Patrick Stakeholders Group and the shareholders/landowners together with spending a number of days surveying the mountain.
In his preliminary feedback, Mr York said he was confident there were repair and management measures available to improve the condition of Croagh Patrick and enhance the experience of those climbing the mountain while respecting the pilgrimage route. He did, however, highlight significant challenges particularly in the summit area. He will return with additional members of his team in early April to complete the design work and will present his completed report in May 2017.
