People are being asked to stay away from Croagh Patrick this Reek Sunday, with a local priest saying the infrastructure simply isn't there this year to welcome a 'huge influx' of pilgrims.
Up to 25,000 people usually climb the Co Mayo mountain for the annual pilgrimage on the last Sunday of July.
Typically, members of the local community, parishes, mountain rescue team, Civil Defence and Order of Malta are on hand to assist the thousands of climbers on the day.
However, Westport parish administrator Fr Charlie McDonnell told Newstalk Breakfast that the situation is different this year due to the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions.
He explained: “Let me make it very clear: people are very welcome to come to Croagh Patrick.
"The problem is the volume of people who’d normally come on Reek Sunday.”
He said there’s normally “tremendous infrastructure” in place for the day to facilitate the number of visitors, but that isn’t there this year.
Fr McDonnell said the big problem is that many members of the local community who would normally help out are elderly and still cocooning at the moment.
He explained: “What I would say to anybody who is considering climbing Croagh Patrick… the infrastructure isn’t there. It hasn’t been there since July 12th, when the numbers went beyond what they would be any other year: the mountain is open, and people have nowhere else to go.
“If you could lay off on Reek Sunday we’d really appreciate it, and maybe look between now and the end of August… maybe in the middle of the week.
"Yesterday there were 97 empty parking spaces at Croagh Patrick - I’d have been delighted to see 97 cars in the car park yesterday, as I would be to see both car parks filled next Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.
“The local community right now are worried less about COVID-19, then the huge influx of people that could come to the mountain, literally park everywhere, unintentionally very often wreck flowerbeds and do damage to the local community… the infrastructure isn’t there this year.”
He stressed that the community is “delighted” people are coming to climb the mountain, but reiterated his call for people to stay away if they can this coming Sunday.
