Ireland West Camino - The Way of the Sun
The Ireland West Camino - The Way of the Sun is a temporary working name for the revitalization of a ±3,500-year-old Irish walking pilgrimage route that extends from the mouth of the Boyne River on the Irish Sea near Drogheda, west across the entirety of Ireland, and through Rathcroghan to Croagh Patrick. The route has historically been referred to as the Tóchar Phádraig (early Christian era) or Slí Assail (pre-Christian era). The Slí Assail is one of the five ancient roads that connected the extremities of ancient Ireland's sacred ceremonial and royal centers with the Hill of Tara. A section of the High Kings Road, or Slí Mhidhluachra, connects Downpatrick in Northern Ireland through the Mourne Mountains along its ancient path to Drogheda.
In short, the Ireland West Camino, beginning in Downpatrick (N. Ireland), runs down the east coast of Ireland along the Irish Sea to Drogheda, turning west on the Slí Assail (same as the "Way of the Sun" coined by Irish author Anthony Murphy) at Drogheda to Rathcroghan (Cruachan Aí) and on to Croagh Patrick (also known as the Reek or Cruachán Aigle) - the holiest mountain in Ireland.
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The 540-km (336-mile) pilgrim's path can be traced back to the Slí Assail, a Bronze Age pilgrimage way (or older, some oral sources have mentioned as old as 4,500 years) that passes hundreds of sacred sites in County Meath, County West Meath, County Cavan, County Longford, County Roscommon, County Sligo, and County Mayo. The extension into Northern Ireland on the High Kings Road, or Slí Mhidhluachra, extends the route into County Down, County Armagh, and County Louth. The Christian and pre-Christian Tóchar (bog road) winds by cashels, holy wells, fairy hills, standing stones, ancient ruins, castles, dolmens, cairns, abbeys, loughs, forests, bogs, and other gorgeous mystical sites, ending in newly proposed UNESCO geopark in the Connemara: Joyce Country & Western Lakes Geopark.
According to legend, this pilgrim's path was walked by St. Patrick in the 5th century AD, though it had been utilized as a pre-Christian pilgrim's path and royal road in Connacht as far back as the Bronze Age. The Christian utilization of the Tóchar Phádraig and the Slí Assail is thus 500 years older than the Camino de Santiago, though fell into disuse post-Cromwell era. The incredible Celtic revival helped to restore the first section (1/2-day walk) of the pilgrimage beginning in 1903 with the combined efforts of Fr Michael McDonald, Fr. John Healy, and Fr Angelus - establishing a 7km pilgrimage that yearly attracts over 100,000 pilgrims and hikers. The pilgrim's path was further extended in the late 1980's by Fr Frank Fahey to a length of 35km and beginning at Ballintubber Abbey. The establishment of the Croagh Patrick Heritage Trail in 2009 added an additional 28km to the restoration of the tóchar, bringing the current trail start to the village of Balla (and now to Knock), and providing an alternate route to the top of Croagh Patrick. The first four days in Northern Ireland follow Alan Graham's St. Patrick's Way (diverging at Newry), while the entire northern segment (leg 1) traces the ancient High Kings Road (Slí Mhidhluachra) to Drogheda.
The Ireland West Camino consists of three major legs totaling 540-km. It can be walked in entirety, depending on pace, in 22-30+ days. The three legs, and their historic Irish names from the Dindshenchas (a collection of medieval Irish legends and place-name lore), are as follows, including start and stop locations as well as distances:
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Slí Mhidhluachra (Leg 1)... Downpatrick to Drogheda (105.4 miles or 169.6 km)
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Slí Assail (Leg 2 )... Downpatrick to Rathcroghan (121.9 miles or 196.1 km)
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Slí Assail nó Tóchar Phádraig (Leg 3)... Rathcroghan to Croagh Patrick (103.9 miles or 167 km)
The entire 540-km route was walked in 10-17 February of 2024 and 12-30 March of 2025 for the first time in total since possibly as far back as the 16th or 17th century. Additionally, a multi-faith group of 21 pilgrims walked the 3rd leg (Rathcroghan to Croagh Patrick) in entirety again setting out on July 21st of 2024 and reached the Reek on Garland Sunday (July 28). A third group of pilgrim's walked the entirety of the Slí Assail (legs 2 and ) from September 12-30, 2025. We will walk the entire lenghth for the first time in almost 400 year in September 2026, from Downpatrick in County Down, to Croagh Patrick in County Mayo, for +540-km.
Our team's mission to help restore this sacred pilgrim's way on behalf of future generations of pilgrims from around the world and the people of Ireland. A documentary, entitled Ireland West Camino: A Pilgrimage Reborn was released in May of 2025. Currently it is viewable only a at pre-premiere screenings but will become available for streaming in the late fall or winter of 2025.
If you are interested in more information, please use the contact form below. Geospatial files are now available for field utilization or desktop browsing at the bottom of this page. Use the contact form to apply to join us for our pilgrimage in September of 2026. You can also click on the links below the YouTube video below on your smartphone to download the ArcGIS Field Maps application and the link for the routes. Route maps are currently only available via ArcGIS Field Maps until further notice.
Let’s Walk Together
Get in touch so we can share fellowship along the Way in 2026 (in September), for more information on walking on your own , or to get involved.
More information:
Introduction to Route
The YouTube video on the left was filmed on site while walking the revitalized Ireland West Camino from February 2024 and March of 2025. The video provides a excellent coverage of the enitree route. This is for the 27-day pilgrimage route beginning in Downpatrick and ending at Croagh Patrick.
Inaugural Pilgrimage
The 3.5-minute YouTube video was produced after 20 pilgrims walked from Rathcroghan to Croagh Patrick for the first time for Reek Sunday at the end of July in 2024. This is also for the 9-day pilgrimage winding through St. Attracta's parish and Lough Gara.