Preasráiteas: Maoiniú i gcomhair bhainistiú chonair Chruach Phádraig fógartha ag an Aire Calleary
Press Release
Monday, 18 May 2026
Minister Calleary announces funding for management of Croagh Patrick path
- €90,000 investment in path maintenance and management in 2026
- €42,000 investment from DRCDG with €35,000 from Croagh Patrick Stakeholder Forum and €13,000 from Mayo County Council
Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary TD, today (Monday, 18 May 2026) announced funding of €42,000 from his Department towards supporting the maintenance and management of the restored Croagh Patrick path for 2026.
‘Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors’, Ireland’s national outdoor recreation strategy, aims to develop and manage our outdoor resources in a sustainable manner. Following on from a similar collaboration in 2025, this project sees the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Mayo County Council and the Croagh Patrick Stakeholder Forum come together to fund the essential path maintenance and management costs for 2026.
Announcing the funding today, Minister Calleary said:
“Croagh Patrick continues to draw thousands of pilgrims and tourists to it each year. The work undertaken on the path, completed in 2024, has addressed the impact of recreational use on the habitat of the mountain while also having an added benefit in for those who walk the path.
“The restored path on Croagh Patrick took years of pain-staking work to complete, most of it done by hand, but that was just the first step. We now want to make sure that the benefit of that work is not lost. This maintenance work will continue to ensure that the path is managed in a sustainable way.
“The Croagh Patrick Stakeholder Group, along with the many volunteers who support them, have to be commended for the care they show for the mountain and those who visit it. The investment of time and money in the mountain by the stakeholder group, in collaboration with local landholders, is an example to us all and I am delighted to be in a position to be able to support their efforts.”
The chair of the Croagh Patrick Stakeholders Group, Martin Keating said:
“Croagh Patrick Stakeholders Group is delighted with the news that the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, in conjunction with Mayo County Council, have agreed to support the maintenance work on Croagh Patrick for 2026.
“This collaboration, together with the resources donated locally through the Friends of Croagh Patrick Initiative will ensure that the path remains robust and fit for purpose, the mountain continues to recover from erosion and a better and safer visitor experience will be availed of. I wish to thank Minister Calleary and the officials in the Department for their valued continued support for Croagh Patrick.”
Also speaking today, Michael McDermott, Head of Tourism, Mayo County Council, said:
“Mayo County Council is delighted to support the Croagh Patrick Stakeholders Group and recognises the mountain’s unique cultural, heritage and environmental importance, as well as its central role as one of Mayo’s flagship tourism destinations.”
Preasráiteas
Dé Luain, 18 Bealtaine 2026
Maoiniú i gcomhair bhainistiú chonair Chruach Phádraig fógartha ag an Aire Calleary
- Infheistíocht €90,000 i gcothabháil agus bainistiú conaire in 2026
- Infheistíocht €42,000 ó RFTPG le €35,000 ó Fhóram Geallsealbhóirí Chruach Phádraig agus €13,000 ó Chomhairle Contae Mhaigh Eo
Inniu (Dé Luain, 18 Bealtaine 2026) d’fhógair an tAire Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail agus Gaeltachta, Dara Calleary TD, go dtabharfaidh a Roinn maoiniú €42,000 chun tacú le cothabháil agus bainistiú chonair athchóirithe Chruach Phádraig do 2026.
Tá mar aidhm le ‘Téigh Amach Faoin Aer’, straitéis náisiúnta áineasa faoin aer de chuid na hÉireann, ár n-acmhainní lasmuigh a fhorbairt agus a bhainistiú ar bhealach inbhuanaithe. I ndiaidh comhiarracht den chineál chéanna in 2025, rachaidh an Roinn Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail agus Gaeltachta i gcomhar le Comhairle Contae Mhaigh Eo agus Fóram Geallsealbhóirí Chruach Phádraig chun an chothabháil bhunriachtanach agus na costais bhainistithe a mhaoiniú do 2026.
Agus an maoiniú á fhógairt aige inniu, dúirt an tAire Calleary:
“Mealltar na mílte oilithreach agus turasóir go Cruach Phádraig gach bliain. Leis an obair ar an gconair a críochnaíodh in 2024, tugadh aghaidh ar thionchar na húsáide áineasa ar ghnáthóg na sléibhe, agus chuaigh an obair chun tairbhe iad siúd a úsáideann an chonair freisin.
“Rinneadh dianobair ar feadh blianta chun an chonair athchóirithe ar Chruach Phádraig a thabhairt i gcrích, agus obair de láimh an chuid is mó de, ach ní raibh ann sin ach an chéad chéim. Anois ba mhaith linn cinnte a dhéanamh nach gcailltear tairbhe na hoibre sin. Cinnteofar leis an obair chothabhála seo go mbainistítear an chonair ar bhealach inbhuanaithe.
“Caithfear Fóram Geallsealbhóirí Chruach Phádraig a mholadh, in éineacht leis an iliomad oibrithe deonacha a chuidíonn leo, as an gcúram a dhéanann siad den sliabh agus díobh siúd a thugann cuairt uirthi. Is eiseamláir dúinn go léir an infheistíocht, ó thaobh ama agus airgid, atá déanta ag an ngrúpa geallsealbhóirí sa tsliabh, i gcomhar le húinéirí talún áitiúla, agus is cúis áthais dom gur féidir liom tacú lena n-iarrachtaí.”
Dúirt Cathaoirleach Fhóram Geallsealbhóirí Chruach Phádraig, Martin Keating:
“Is cúis áthais do Ghrúpa Geallsealbhóirí Chruach Phádraig gur aontaigh an Roinn Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail agus Gaeltachta, i gcomhar le Comhairle Contae Mhaigh Eo, tacú leis an obair chothabhála ar Chruach Phádraig do 2026.
“Cinnteofar leis an gcomhar seo, in éineacht leis na hacmhainní a deonaíodh go háitiúil trí Thionscnamh Chairde Chruach Phádraig, go mbeidh an chonair láidir agus oiriúnach dá cuspóir, go leanfaidh an tsliabh lena teacht aniar ón chreimeadh, agus go mbeidh eispéireas níos fearr agus níos sábháilte ann do chuairteoirí. Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leis an Aire Calleary agus le hoifigigh na Roinne as a dtacaíocht leanúnach luachmhar do Chruach Phádraig.”
Agus é ag labhairt inniu freisin, dúirt Michael McDermott, Ceannasaí Turasóireachta le Comhairle Contae Mhaigh Eo:
“Is cúis áthais do Chomhairle Contae Mhaigh Eo gur féidir linn tacú le Grúpa Geallsealbhóirí Chruach Phádraig agus aithníonn muid an tábhacht chultúrtha, oidhreachta agus chomhshaoil ar leith atá ag an sliabh, in éineacht lena ról lárnach mar cheann de na príomhchinn scríbe turasóireachta i gContae Mhaigh Eo.”