Gardaí will be on duty on all approaches to Croagh Patrick this Reek Sunday to enforce Public Health guidelines due to Covid-19.

Groups closely involved with organising the annual climb have appealed to people to stay away.

In a statement they said that many of the volunteer stewards who know the terrain and the routine are themselves cocooning. “The logistics of members of the public or volunteer emergency services coming to the assistance of someone who had fallen would create unnecessary public health risk”.

“It was furthermore confirmed to us by a consultant in public health medicine that Reek Sunday fell outside the criteria laid out in the roadmap for reopening the country. The public health advice is clear and we absolutely abide by it.”

St Mary’s administrator Fr Charlie McDonnell said that, despite the absence of infrastructure at the mountain and the season being closed for 2020, people were still turning up to climb it with as many as 1,394 there on the weekend of July 12th this year. Similar crowds were there last weekend, he said.

However Archbishop of Tuam Michael Neary will still celebrate the annual Reek vigil Mass at St Mary’s in Westport on Saturday July 25th at 6:30 pm. It will be offered for the intentions of all who had wished to make the pilgrimage to Croagh Patrick’s summit.