When Charlie Bird packs his bag for Croagh Patrick on April 2, he will have a rain jacket, warm clothes, water and snacks for his climb.
He will also have four candles and matches that he will take to St. Patrick’s Oratory at the top of “the Reek”.
“The first candle lit will be for anyone like me who has a terminal illness, and the second will be for anyone who is in what I call a dark place, with thoughts of self-harm and suicide” , says Bird.
“The third will be to mark everyone coming out of the pandemic. And the last will be for everyone who died in the pandemic,” he says.
And in his pocket will be “the lovely gift Daniel O’Donnell gave me the night we were both on .
The journalist and broadcaster says he is still “blown away” by the response to his decision to climb Mayo Quartzite Peak – a decision he made after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) last year. last.
“Why did I choose Croagh Patrick? Well, in a way it was a knee-jerk response,” he says, recalling how it went that night. .
And why not, because the “impeccable pyramid”, as the writer Michael Viney once described it, has never lost its charm.
The rolling of the sun on its slopes twice a year “earned the Reek its druidic credentials”, wrote Viney in
in 1999, describing how “on winter mornings, against the light, the seaward escarpment above Murrisk is dark purple, scalloped with pale grey-purple scree”, while on summer evenings, from Old Head, the Reek is pink and Italian, like a watercolor of the Bay of Naples”.
But there was another reason for Bird’s decision.
“Right before the pandemic, I formed a WhatsApp group called West Awake,” he says. “It was made up of my colleagues from RTÉ, all of whom had a connection to the west of Ireland.”
Among the group were broadcaster Seán O’Rourke, former North editor Tommie Gorman, TG4’s Michael Lally, former editor Ray Burke and former agriculture correspondent Joe O’Brien.
Another key member was “my great friend and colleague, Jim Fahy”, says Bird, paying a warm tribute to the former RTÉ editor who died earlier this year.
“When I was diagnosed with a terminal illness, MND, this group was incredibly supportive,” says Bird.
“I told them jokingly ‘would they climb a mountain with me?’, and of course they all said ‘yes’,” he says.
“That’s how the idea was born,” he says.
Singer Daniel O’Donnell will also be present. Vicky Phelan, who was recently honored with Freedom from the City and County of Limerick for speaking out about the CervicalCheck scandal, hopes to be there to lend her support.
Bird raises funds for two charities close to his heart – Irish Motor Neurone Disease (IMNDA) and Pieta, Ireland’s National Suicide Prevention Association.
However, numbers with him on Croagh Patrick will be limited, due to the fragility of the well-worn pilgrimage route.
“We want everyone marching on April 2 to respect the environment,” Bird said.
It is heartening that many groups and individuals have already understood this message and have planned simultaneous trips to the high places of the island.
A 12km loop walk around Mount Melleray Abbey in the Knockmealdown Mountains in Co Waterford, Cnoc na Naomh on Arranmore Island in Donegal and Knocknagantee near Sneem in County Kerry are among the countless alternative walks shown on the map on the ClimbWithCharlie website.
It doesn’t have to be a hill — it could be a park walk or a forest trail, suggests Bird. He appeals to all those who go out into the countryside to leave their dog or dogs at home.
“The date marks the start of the lambing season…so I won’t be bringing my beloved tiger up the mountain,” Bird said.
Tiger, a cockapoo, is an integral part of the ClimbWithCharlie project, as he helped with the training.
“Before I was diagnosed with my terminal illness and during the early stages of the pandemic…I was walking up to 24 km (15 miles) a day,” says Bird.
“Last September, before I was diagnosed, I climbed Lugnaquilla on my own, up and down in just over four hours,” he recalls.
“Believe it or not, on the way down I met a very old man, I think about 89, who was climbing ‘the Lug’ with his daughter – they both put me to shame.”
Bird’s website has essential tips for preparedness, and Mayo Mountain Rescue and Mountaineering Ireland have also published helpful tips.
Like all mountains, the Reek can offer extremes. I first met Mayo Mountain Rescue publicist Marie Lyons in a tent during a yellow weather warning in late July 2015, when the pilgrimage was canceled.
Still, people showed up and some were treated for hypothermia. Last year, Lyon recalls, some climbers had to seek help for heatstroke.
Irish Mountain Rescue Teams do not engage in the mustering and organization of third party events. However, the Mayo Mountain Rescue team has organized a training event on the Reek for April 2.
Lyons’ advice is to check your fitness; wear good boots; bring a backpack with water, food and a good rain jacket; pack a fully charged cell phone and flashlight, and make sure you have warm clothes in case you have to sit on the mountain while waiting for medical help.
She also advises Reek climbers to seek out and use the steps installed by the Croagh Patrick Sustainable Access and Habitat Restoration Project to combat trail erosion.
These points are echoed by Mountaineering Ireland (MI), who have put together some tips for ClimbWithCharlie participants and those running side events.
He also has a very helpful ‘Happy Hiking’ leaflet on his website, which advises taking a step-by-step approach to building up your fitness, endurance, experience and confidence.
“Set realistic goals to start with and don’t be afraid to turn around and back out,” advises MI.
Proper preparation and the right gear can make “the difference between a good day or a miserable day in the hills,” he says.
Bird says he hopes April 2 will be a “national day of celebration.”
“I always take advantage of every opportunity that is given to me,” he says. “Somehow it sends a message to my brain – while I’m walking, I’m still alive. And that gives me hope.
“So Croagh Patrick is about hope for me…While I’m still strong and alive, I want to extend the hand of friendship to everyone.”
He says he is so looking forward to having his wife, Claire, family and friends with him.
“And I want to look at the incredible view of Clew Bay – and have that view etched in my mind for whatever time I have left.”
