Crisscrossing some of the Ireland’s most picturesque areas, St Declan’s Way is often likened to Spain’s Camino de Santiago. To boost numbers using the ancient route, a series of briefing evenings on the pilgrimage path are being staged.
Here the St Declan’s Way steering committee hopes to engage with landowners, tourism operators and community groups along the route. A new St. Declan’s Way map brochure and pilgrim passport is also being produced.
Pilgrim Paths Ireland chairman John O’Dwyer has said that it was remarkable that large parts of the route had been restored by voluntary effort. “There is now a pilgrim path in Ireland offering a very similar experience to the Spanish Camino that provides the perfect opportunity for personal renewal as part of a one-week walking holiday.”
He said people undertake such routes for a variety of reasons from recreation to meditation and from curiosity to religious commitment. “It’s a great leveller, no matter who you are – you have exactly the same journey, the same feelings,” he comments.
The pilgrimage path of St Declan ranks as one of the most ancient holy routes in Ireland – and traces the reputed trek made by St Declan between Ardmore in Waterford to Cashel in Tipperary to meet with St Patrick.
The redevelopment of St Declan’s Way was supported six years ago by a €150,000 grant from the Department of Rural Development’s special recreation fund.
LSL News.