Martina guides pilgrims around St Patrick’s Way

Martina guides pilgrims around St Patrick’s Way

8 July 2020

SEVEN people with a spiritual sense of adventure arrived in Downpatrick to walk the Saint Patrick Centre’s new initiative, St Patrick’s Way — a pilgrimage route linking the seven sites in Downpatrick associated with the patron saint.

Seven is said to be God’s perfect number. “It’s a good start,” I thought, as I welcomed these brave souls. “Guinea pilgrims,” I called them light-heartedly. It turned out it was a good deion!

Our motto for the walk, ‘Be Amazed!’, was inspired by Patrick’s Confession in which he recounts his journey to Ireland as a fifth century slave before being freed spiritually and physically by God. To be honest I was amazed all seven wanted to do the whole Downpatrick Camino in one day as, for many people, I would recommend two half days. It is not for the faint-hearted!

Welcoming everyone, I pointed out the finish time was between 6pm and 7pm and the Dean of Down, the Very Rev Henry Hull, kindly turned up to bless us on our way, leading us in the pilgrim prayer, which is found in the new pilgrim passport.

“I arise today through God’s strength to pilot me, God’s might to uphold me…”

 The newly produced Pilgrim Passport was to stamped at each point along the way: Saint Patrick Centre, Inch Abbey, Saul Church, Slieve Patrick, Struell Wells, St Patrick’s Memorial Church, Downpatrick and St Patrick’s Grave. 

“A wing and a prayer,” was how one pilgrim put it.

Our journey would usually begin at the Saint Patrick Centre’s IMAX film which explores the story of Patrick but due to lockdown restrictions we skipped this part and, instead, there was a quick photo-call with the new high viz jackets, sponsored by Phoenix Gas.

 It was an eclectic group: the aptly-named Hillary who had climbed Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro; and another, a journalist, who planned to write about the Way; a mother and son with strong links to Downpatrick; a married couple, Jim and Marion, from Belfast, who were around retirement age and had walked the Camino de Santiago in Spain; and finally their friend, Colette, a casual walker blessed with great faith, a sharp wit and, I recall, a fancy gadget that calculated distance.

We set out, climbing St Patrick’s Staircase and were headed towards Down Museum when a pilgrim asked me about the building behind us. 

That panicky feeling from school days when my teacher asked an unexpected question began to rise. My credibility as a guide was at stake. Thankfully I had looked up the school out of curiosity the night before. “Oh yes, that school was built about 300 years ago by the Southwell family…”

It seemed to get easier after that as we walked towards the Mound of Down to hear about John de Courcy before marching through the fields towards Inch. We would have to take the Belfast Road, as my dream of having a bridge, or a boat, to cross the Quoile was still a dream. 

At least the grass was freshly cut and the weather was dry. The Lord was good to us.

During the tour at Inch Abbey we met a local man, Roger, who kindly pointed out some little known facts and features including the early “spa hot-tub” where the monk’s infirmary had once stood on the banks of the Quoile. 

After a break, we set off for the banks of the Quoile River and Saul Hill, the group happily chatting to one another after a lockdown of three and a half months. The Quoile is a gentle part of the walk and as the river flowed, ducklings were paddling behind their mother, like pilgrims on the Way.

The Mearne Road was a bit more challenging as the way got steeper but we knew Patrick himself had made this climb on his route to founding the first church on the island. Before long we could see the round tower and had made it in good time, around 12:35pm. A trinity was there to greet us — the Centre Director Dr Tim Campbell, pilgrim guide Elaine Kelly and the Dean of Down, who recounted the history of Saul Church.

 When we arrived at The Barn at Saul, just yards away, we were all ready for the pilgrim welcome, the pilgrim washroom and the pilgrim lunch — soup and sandwiches, tea and coffee with carefully observed social distancing.

They were a happy bunch as I bade them farewell and offered a lift back to anyone who wanted it. But all agreed they wanted to continue with Elaine to Slieve Patrick and then on to Struell Wells via the Lecale path, what I had dubbed the Way of Tranquility until I fell flat on my face in the mud, going over a stile the week before. 

Hours later, back at the centre, we waited for the pilgrims to return. Around 6pm a message came through that the mother and son had to leave for an appointment and one of the walkers had hit her wall just before the ancient ones at Struell Wells. I put the kettle on and was relieved to see Colette, the walker from Ballymurphy, coming towards the centre, half an hour later.

She was exhausted but in good humour as she regaled us with her observations, including the need for a toilet at Struell Wells. “Pilgrim’s Pain,” she declared, and joked (I think she was joking) that she had less suffering during the Troubles in Ballymurphy.

Slumped in her chair with her tea at the St Patrick’s Centre, having completed 80% of the walk, she insisted that the Way was way more than 13 miles (22km). She referred to a fancy gadget – which actually turned out to be accurate. Our five-mile estimate for the morning was closer to six miles and the afternoon closer to ten. So a sweet 16 miles altogether. What would the other pilgrims say when they got back? 

Like an expectant mother and father, Dr Tim Campbell and I waited. I was looking at my watch and nervously flicking at the kettle switch until we caught the reflection of the high-vis jackets in one of the shop windows. Teas were hurried made as the pilgrims, led by Elaine, looking like Rocky Balboa, triumphantly made their way towards the centre. 

“It was an amazing experience,” declared the journalist who later said he had the energy to walk his love and woke up feeling refreshed. He loved it! Hillary’s boots which had mounted Kilimanjaro started to fall apart on Slieve Patrick but she was rejoicing. 

The husband and wife team from Belfast? “Astounding,” exclaimed Marion, joyfully, exhausted but glad to have made it. “You just need to tell people it’s longer,” said her husband, Jim.

The next day’s pilgrimage, with a few adjustments, had everyone back at 6.30pm.

And Elaine and I received some lovely messages including one from Colette, graciously thanking us. “Walking with you on St Patrick’s Way. It was an experience I wouldn’t have missed.” 

We have 16 fully booked for July 15. Thank God! I was afraid I would have to move to Bangor to promote Columbanus.

Martina Purdy, a former BBC correspondent and Adoration Sister, is now a pilgrim guide and public relations consultant for the St Patrick Centre.