The 130km St Patrick’s Way: The Pilgrim Walk stretches from Armagh, the ecclesiastical centre of Ireland, to Downpatrick, where the island’s patron saint is said to be buried.
The trail was the brainchild of Alan Graham, who was inspired by the Camino de Santiago in Spain. He planned the route and developed it with support from local district councils and Tourism Northern Ireland.
Starting at the Navan Centre in County Armagh the route is split into seven sections, some of which can be completed in a day. Section one, Navan Centre to Armagh city, is short but has many heritage sites including Armagh’s two cathedrals, each called St Patrick’s.
From Armagh a picturesque walk includes the Mourne Mountains, the Newry canal towpath, forest trails and the County Down coastline.
Connections to St Patrick include the hermit’s cell and an oratory on Slieve Donard both constructed by St Donard who was an important disciple of St Patrick.
The trail ends at Downpatrick Cathedral, a place of Christian worship since the fifth century, and where St Patrick is said to be buried under a large stone slab.
Downpatrick also has Saint Patrick Centre – the only permanent exhibition dedicated to St Patrick in the world, where state-of-the-art interactive audio-visual presentations tell the story of Christianity in Ireland.
Walkers can pick up a Pilgrim’s Passport at any of the Visitor Information Centres in the area and collect a stamp at 10 locations along the way, then get passport get a Certificate of Achievement at the Saint Patrick Centre. www.ireland.com