SAINT PATRICK may have spent 40 days and 40 nights on Croagh Patrick but his penitential record is now under serious challenge by a man who is climbing the mountain for 365 consecutive days, in a bid to raise money for St Vincent de Paul.
Despite the Arctic conditions, today is Matt Loughrey’s 200th day to climb the Mayo mountain.
Speaking yesterday before his daily pilgrimage, Matt Loughrey (32) confessed that the idea for the challenge was born in the late hours of an evening, last May, spent in Campbell’s pub at the foot of the mountain.
“A few years ago I took a job as a tour guide on Croagh Patrick and that summer I did around 40 ascents. I was struck then by the special energy of the place and by the fact that everyone you met had a genuine reason for climbing the mountain. Then after the economic collapse I was thinking about how vulnerable people were and how even people who had been wealthy were now quietly struggling,” Matt Loughrey said.
“One night, with a few pints consumed in Campbell’s pub, the idea to do this struck me,” he said.
“I ultimately chose the St Vincent de Paul because they offered the lowest administrative cost of all the charities considered. They also allowed me to direct the money to their conferences [of the organisation] situated here in the west of Ireland,” he said.
So since June 5th last, hail, rain, sweltering sun or snow, Loughrey has climbed the mountain each day. Sometimes he is accompanied by other climbers who have contacted him through the website and Facebook page.
He said that hillwalkers and runners from America, Australia, the UK and Ireland, as well as lots of regular climbers from the area have accompanied him.
Over the last six months, Loughrey has met many characters with colourful stories. However, the one that stands out is the tale of a middle-aged man who was a cocaine addict.
“I met this guy back in July, I immediately knew there was something wrong. His face was filled with pain. He told me he was on coke and that all his attempts to kick the habit had failed. So he said he had decided to climb the addiction ‘out of himself’. He was climbing the mountain seven days in a row.”
Matt Loughrey will climb Croagh Patrick at 9am on Christmas morning. Charity donations can be made at www.svp.ie. For further information, visit www.croaghpatrick365.com