The Spanish pilgrimage trail with a 25-kilometre section right here in Ireland

The Celtic Camino — or Seafarers' Route — starts with a pilgrim walk here and concludes in a 75-kilometre walk in Spain

Walkers on the Celtic Camino. Picture: John G O'Dwyer

Soon after the defeat of the Gaelic chieftains at the Battle of Kinsale in 1601, Red Hugh O’Donnell sailed to A Coruña in Spain with the promise that he would return to Ireland with a large army. Following the penitential route to Santiago de Compostela, he was lavishly welcomed as an honoured guest by the archbishop. Red Hugh never made it back to Ireland, but in continuing to Santiago, he was following in the footsteps of countless Irish pilgrims who, since the 12th century, had taken a similar route to the burial place of St James.

The three great pilgrim journeys of the medieval period were to Rome, Jerusalem, and Santiago. Of these, the Spanish city was the most easily accessible for Irish penitents. It is, however, a common belief that in making their way to the tomb of St James, penitents from Ireland walked through England and France. In general, this was not the case. Mostly they found passage on merchant ships plying the busy trade route to the Spanish coastal city of A Coruña having hiked from their home to Irish ports such as Dingle, Kinsale, Waterford, and Wexford. On arrival in Spain, they then walked the relatively-short distance to Santiago.