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news report
Wednesday August 03, 2005 00:31
by Elaine
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Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Mountain Rescue saves the day for many.
All along the route we saw fluorescent-jacketed members of the ‘Order Of Malta’ on first aid duty. Dealing with everything from minor falls, blisters, lost children and serious injuries. Some were taken down the mountain the old fashioned way, by stretcher. The more seriously injured were airlifted to hospital by helicopter.
One Pilgrim Leaves The Party On A Stretcher -Thousands More Arrive To Take Their Place
Mountain Rescue Collect Those Who Fall By The Wayside
Another Pilgrim About To Ascend Into The Clouds
More Exclusive Than The Fianna Fail Tent - Only The Best Dressed Blisters Here
Order Of Malta - Saving Soles At The Summit
The barefoot and the fancy garbed….
Singing Priests, old men and women, Families on a day out. Like an old-fashioned market day held on a slope. People greeted each other with “It’s not too bad this year, thank God.” And “Last year was miserable.” Much shaking of hands and heads and a few reunions. (We met Catholic Workers from Offaly coming down the mountain as we were going up.)
Some murmured prayers, rosary beads in their hands – others exchanged gossip. “I tell ya her hairs a different colour every time I see her.” Old timers gave advice to the novices – “I said never again after the first time but this is my 11th climb. Ya get used to it.” One middle-aged woman chatting on her mobile was giving instructions to someone at home. “Put the oven on at 200 degrees and leave it to heat up for twenty minutes….”
We encountered Rock Art with a difference. On the facing slopes were the names of people and their countries spelled out in white rocks. We saw ‘Latvia’, ‘Lithuania’, and the usual ‘Sean loves Mary’ type of graffiti. One man was collecting rocks to spell out ‘U.S.’ we were going to add ‘…Military Out Of Shannon’ but we didn’t have the stones as it were.
If You're Buying - Make Mine A Large One
All Along The Rocky Path The Penitants Prayed In Unison - Oh God Me Feet
Its Always Good To Meet People Half Way - Dublin Catholic Worker Meets The Offaly Chapter
Stephen Ya Mad Thing - Fancy Meeting You Here
Lithuania Was Here
We crested a ridge and in my naiveté thought – that’s that so. Then came the nosebleed section. A steep incline littered with loose shale. It starts off easy enough, a few rocks here and there. Then suddenly you are ankle deep in sharp rocks at a 45 degree angle. The climb or more properly clamber, was made more difficult by those coming down the hill. Some were kicking loose stones down on top of my feet. Others were scudding down on their arses, and not by choice either.
But finally we made it, just as the mist closed in obscuring the view. We ate cold soup – damn cheap flask – and waited for the clouds to clear. We got chatting to two friends of the Rossport five. As we chatted the clouds parted – and what a view.
This Was One Of The Easier Parts
After A 90 Minute Climb We Realise Its Not Over Yet
Two Friends and Supporters Of The Rossport Five
Vantage Point
Clew Bay
In the past, when Ireland was poor, many more would come from all over Ireland to participate. A case of ‘Recession being good for the Soul’?
This poem by Louis MacNeice sums up the experience.
Under The Mountain
Seen from above
The foam in the curving bay is a goose-quill
That feathers … unfeathers … itself.
Seen from above
The field is a flap and the haycocks buttons
To keep it flush with the earth.
Seen from above
The house is a silent gadget whose purpose
Was long since obsolete.
But when you get down
The breakers are cold scum and the wrack
Sizzles with stinking life.
When you get down
The field is a failed or a worth-while crop, the source
Of back-ache if not heartache.
And when you get down
The house is a maelstrom of loves and hates where you –
Having got down – belong.
Watching The Mist Rolling In
Worth It For The View
My Boots Are Talking To Me
Three years ago I first scaled the reek with my retired dad and a friend, but that was when I was fresh to the challenge, and so decided to experience it how pilgrims in the past had - barefooted.
I had a great sense of disarmament during that initial climb, with the serene western views of Clare Island reaching out beyond the drumlins of Clew Bay, while the eastern perspective from the croagh-side gave every physical geography student a pictureseque view of ox-bow lakes, a cirque, tarn, and arete.
The pancake bogland made the reek seem all the more awe-inspiring and deceptively high.
This year, taking into consideration I had to work on Tuesday (a job that requires lots of walking and climbing stairs), I decided to keep my two feet in my two boots.
I also hoped God would forgive me if I listened to the hurling quarter finals with Galway vs. Tipperary, and Kilkenny vs. Limerick.
Many a pilgrim was happy to stop for a quick match update. A form of respite from their ascension/descension.
One Tyrone-jersey bearing adult and his son were obviously seeking repentance for the referee who had given a brutally inept display during their recent clash with Armagh. Years ago, such abysmal judgement calls by a referee would have been a mortal sin in the eyes of many. But thankfully times have changed, and now such trophy-deciding faults only qualify in the venial category.
I was surprised to see some drinks corporations hadn't sponsored a few bare-footed penitents to paint corporate logos upon their feet.
Surely a missed marketing opportunity there. Seen as they've penetrated the football/hurling boots of GAA players it may not be too far-flung an idea for the future.
Carlsberg don't do religious pilgrimages, but if they did..............................
Returning to work on Tuesday morning, I was surprised to hear the food delivery man bring up the subject: 'Were you at Croagher over the weekend'?
When a Clare man says such things after the last Sunday of July it's a safe bet he's talking about Croagh Patrick in Mayo and not the Ballybough Croagher.
Christian tradition holds St. Patrick fasted on the summit for forty days and nights in thanksgiving to his God for the conversion of Irish people to Christianity. Love it or despise it, that's their tradition.
Anyhow, the Clare food delivery man continued: 'Did ya see a helicopter on your tracks?'
'I did indeed', I replied.
Well, that was me father been airlifted out by the mountain rescue team after he fainted on the way down. Fucking lunatic. 64 years of age, climbed the mounain in his bare feet with a rucksack full of rocks on his back!'
Thankfully, he has recovered and is doing fine.
An enthusiastic/artistic Pole had formed rocks on a neighbouring mountainside into 'Kocham Magde' (I love Magde). Not sure if this was a reference to the biblical Magdalene or his own girlfriend/spouse.
'LATVIA' and 'ESPANA' also decorated the landscape, designed from the abundant scree.
Those close to the summit sought and received the comforting assurances, 'It's just around the corner', or 'it's only another 10 minutes'.
An elderly lady catching her breath smiled and replied, 'that depends on how fast your climbing'.
Elaine has captured the essence with her photos, which speak a thousand words each. Yet, such beauty as Shakespeare would say, cannot truly be depicted, 'as words (and photos) cannot yield the matter'.
My advise to peoples of all cultures, faiths (and of no faith of course), and ages - go to Murrisk and experience one of Ireland's most beautiful traditions and environments.
have you not coped onto the organised religion thing yet?
its suppressive and brainwashing
the opiate of the people
did you see moving statues when you were up there too?
Wa wa wa wa wa..didn't we get out of bed on the wrong side this morning. You sound a little threatened there buster.
What's your problem isn't MTV doing it for you any more? Or got the shakes that the subculture you inhabit won't last a decade, before its on to smack or back to suburbia? Get out of the house, climb a mountain, meet a Catholic, meet someone from beyond the pale, meet some working class people. You've got 3 score and 10...enjoy.
Bill Hicks "It's a choice between love and fear!"
Dotskesky "The world will be save by beauty!"
Dan O'Neill "Cynicism is the 5th. column of the establishment!"
"MTV doing it for you any more?"
"the subculture you inhabit won't last a decade, before its on to smack or back to suburbia"
Fine set of prejudices you have there. Is that the christian way to respond to what seems to me to be very mild questioning?
As for your quote of Dan O'Neill that
"Cynicism is the 5th. column of the establishment!"
the fact is that christianity is itself part of the establishment. i.e. it is part of the problem not part of the solution.
My prejudices aren't christian. Read article in last week's Village for a take on the pagan and christian roots of this pilgrimage.
Everything is vanity and gets co-opted into the establishment. Behold the Provos this past week. It can happen to the best, or most hardcore, of us.
Getting Catholics out of churches and back to nature can't be a bad thing.
We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.