“I climbed a mountain and fell in love.” This is how Peter McLernon, Petey to his friends, begins his tale at the Storytelling Evening in The Rock, County Tyrone in Northern Ireland. Petey, who is a confirmed bachelor, captures the attention of his audience with that opening statement. After a brief pause he continues, “42 years ago I fell in love…with the mountain.”

The mountain that captured Petey’s attention was Croagh Patrick, the site where St. Patrick fasted for forty days in 441 AD. Now, to honor the Irish saint, thousands make the pilgrimage up the mountain every year. A majority of those pilgrims make their trek on the last Sunday in July, known as Reek Sunday. This year the BBC reported that over 30,000 people participated in this ancient custom.
Croagh Patrick, located just five miles from Westport in County Mayo, rises 765 meters into the air. On a clear day, visitors to the top of the mountain are treated to magnificent views of Clew Bay and the surrounding countryside. While St. Patrick made this mountain famous, there is archeological evidence that it has been a holy place for over 5,000 years
It was on Reek Sunday 42 years ago that Petey first climbed Croagh Patrick, stopping at all three stations along the path to recite the series of prayers that are part of the pilgrimage. His reason for making that first journey up the mountain? Curiosity. However, once that was satisfied, something else kept bringing Petey back every year. “There is a spiritual element and now it’s become a tradition too, but there’s much more to it.”
Petey prefers to climb the mountain alone for a richer, more fulfilling experience. Over the years, he has met wonderful people and had his share of unique, even mystical, occurrences. He’s even helped injured climbers make their way back to the base. It usually takes him about 5-6 hours to complete the pilgrimage, depending on the weather and the number of interesting conversations he engages in during the climb.
Petey plans to complete the Croagh Patrick pilgrimage every year for as long as possible.  “It’s not hard to climb a mountain,” says Petey. “What’s hard is standing in front of 40 people and telling them about it!”
Kathy McGorray Dougherty is owner of Northern Ireland Travels, which specializes in creating personalized, self-guided trips to Northern Ireland. For more information, visit their website at www.nirelandtravels.com.