An ecumencial first on Croagh Patrick for Reek Sunday
This year's pilgrimage was again blessed by favourable weather conditions, with the surface mostly dry except for some occasional mist near the summit.
Mass outside the chapel on the summit took place hourly between 8am and 2pm. Over 3,000 loaves of Holy Communion were distributed on the day.
At 10.30am, a Church of Ireland priest led an ecumenical service for the first time in the history of the pilgrimage - which dates back to pagan times before St Patrick's arrival to Mayo in the fifth century.
Francis Duffy, Archbishop of Tuam and Killala, was among those present for this year's pilgrimage, which took place as part of the Jubilee Year conceived by the late Pope Francis. The theme for this year's Jubilee was 'Pilgrims of Hope'.
Fr John Kenny, Parish Priest of Westport, said this year's reek Sunday pilgrimage was 'unique occasion' as it coincided with both Jubilee Year and World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly.
This year, those who do the Reek Sunday, Lough Derg and Knock pilgrimages can receive a passport stamp and a memento to signify their completion of three pilgrimages.
'We're following in the footsteps of centuries of people coming up here today,' Fr Kenny told the Irish Independent.
'Since the time of Patrick - and even Patrick was following in the steps of Pagan worshippers - he made this a place of Christian worship.
'People came here to worship the sun and the sky which is shining in and out between the clouds at the moment, harvest time, spring time, planting time. He [St Patrick] came here for 40 days, 40 nights, and he Christianised the mountain, so to speak, making it a place of Christian worship, baptising local people in Aughagower after he came down from the mountain, and ever since his visit it has been a place we honour as Ireland's holy mountain.'
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Glen Duff travelled from Termonfeckin in County Louth to the place where he got engaged to his wife, Deborah in 2005.
'I got engaged just exactly where the altar is set up,' the father-of-four told the Irish Independent.
Mr Duff, who climbed the mountain in his bare feet, said he found the ascent 'tough enough'.
'I'm not looking forward to going down because I did it before and going down is hard,' he said.
A number of people carried Palestinian flags up the mountain while Lety Sanchez and Xiomara Cullen brought a Cuban flag.
'We came to tell the world that we are from Cuba,' explained Ms Sanchez who has been living in Sligo for a number of years.
'We are for Cuba independence, free of communism. Cuba is a communist country, it's a dictatorship and we all have to emigrate looking for a better life.
'We want Cuba to have independence, a better economy, freedom, to have so many things.'
Ms Cullen told the Irish Independent: We're Catholics. Apart from asking for the freedom of Cuba. I am asking to get back to Cuba to see my family. We are here to ask for health for our family, for our friends, for everybody."
Charlie Brady from Longford, a member of the Legion of Mary, was among those who distributed Miraculous Medals to hundreds of pilgrims at the bottom of Croagh Patrick.
'We need to get back to prayer again and Mass. A whole lot of people stopped going to Mass, we want to get them back on the rosary,' Mr Brady said.
Andrew Canavan, a member of Grace Baptist Church in Galway city, distributed leaflets and copies of the New Testament to pilgrims passing the statue of St Patrick at the bottom of the mountain.
'Certainly, we see an acknowledgement of the Lord by people who are climbing this mountain for spiritual reasons,' Mr Canavan told the Irish Independent.
'So what I'm trying to talk to people about is that they can know for sure that they are going to heaven, that is because Christ fully paid for our sin. He paid, in full, my sin debt. So I am forgiven on the basis of his substitutionary debt for me. So, if I can have conversations and encourage people to believe it, it's been great.
'This is my first year,' he added. People have been very friendly, people seem dedicated, it's been great. The weather has been lovely.'
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