The Camino is synonymous with northern Spain as the historic pilgrimage welcomes hundreds of thousands of walkers each year who navigate nine different pilgrim routes that take in parts of southern France and western Portugal.
However, there’s an Irish option for those who don’t want to venture that far as more and more community groups and charitable organisations host their own Camino events, banking on the scenic surrounds of the Irish countryside offering its own peaceful contemplation for those looking for a quieter pace of life.
A small rural parish, nestled in a corner of north Leitrim, has harnessed its strong community spirit to launch the inaugural Drumreilly Community Camino, taking place over the May bank holiday weekend.
Speaking to Irish Country Living, members of the committee who set up the event, explained why Drumreilly is the perfect location for a Camino walk.
Connell McGovern says the community wanted to celebrate the very special part of the country they are lucky enough to call home, and saw the opportunity to raise money in support of a number of charities in the process.
“I find nature so powerful and healing and as farmers, we don’t always appreciate the amazing countryside we are lucky enough to live and work on,” he explains.
“I think when you go out into the open air and the fields, you have a chance to go into yourself and find a peace you don’t get anywhere else.
“This region is steeped in agriculture, with a lot of suckler farmers around as the ground is quite heavy. We’re on the shores of Drumcoura Lake, and a local farmer, Seamus Quinn, is known for his award-winning Montbéliard cows. While we’re only a small parish, the population is no more than 400 people and we are committed to making this Camino a success.”
The event will raise money for North West Stop, a charity working to prevent suicide in the northwest region, along with a number of ongoing local community projects taking place in Drumreilly.
Local buy-in
Niamh McCabe is 27 and recently returned home to Drumreilly after a number of years living in Australia. A secondary school teacher in Mohill, Niamh grew up on her family’s beef, suckler and organic farm and says she always knew she would return home.
“We are all very proud of our parish and the beautiful landscape we have on our doorstep,” she says.
“We are blessed to call Drumreilly home, which is tucked away in the countryside and feels like a world apart from everywhere, yet Carrick-on-Shannon is only 40 minutes away and we’re an hour from Longford, Cavan and Enniskillen, so we’re central.
“When the call came last October to meet up to discuss events for the coming year, I was delighted to put my name down and there’s been huge buy-in for the Camino from people locally.
“It’s been a brilliant opportunity to get to know other people, from other groups and those who are older than me. I would know them to say hello before this committee was set up, but now, I’d consider them friends.
“We’ve a great mix of people involved, from the men’s and ladies’ football clubs to the active age group and the church choir and parish council. I feel like I’m giving something back to the community and we’ll do all we can to make this Camino a huge success.”
Niamh McCabe, Connell McGovern and Cassie O’Connor preparing for the Drumreilly Community Camino Walk. \Lorraine Teevan
Grá for home
Cassie O’Connor, Niamh’s next door neighbour and fellow teacher, agrees that pride for the parish has been driving the Camino event forward in recent months.
“I was gone for six years, four in college in Maynooth and then I lived in Dublin for two years, but I always knew I’d come home,” she explains.
“I grew up next door to Niamh and we’d regularly meet up at the weekends to go for a walk and catch up with each other.
“There are so many different routes; the bog road, John Tom’s road, and we walk them all without realising how lucky we are to have such natural beauty on our doorstep.
“We got to thinking that maybe this was something we could share with people far and wide, so once the committee was formed, we all agreed on a Camino walk, to celebrate our community and to raise money for some very worthy, local groups.”
The Drumreilly Camino offers three different routes to participants, with a 35km option for the more serious walker. In a bid to make the event as open and family friendly as possible, two shorter routes; 20km and 10.5km are also available on the day.
“We don’t want to exclude anyone, from young families to those who may be older and not as mobile so we hope we’re catering to everyone,” adds Niamh.
Connell says the decision to support North West Stop was down to a number of suicides in the area in recent years.
“Mental health is not something you just talk about, you have to work at it and you have to look out for each other. Every community in the country has been affected by suicide and if we can raise a few euro to support the work being done by organisations like North West Stop, that provides free counselling to people, then we’ll have made a difference,” he says.
“The other recipients of the proceeds from the day include our local active age group, Drumreilly National School, and the community centre.”
Cassie says the pride of people young and old is evident by how many people return to Drumreilly for special occasions, with a big turnout at Christmas helping to kickstart the fundraising for the Camino.
“There is such a grá for home among people from Drumreilly who you are likely to meet in every corner of the world,” she says.
“We have a huge reunion every Christmas and when people heard what we were doing they were all determined to come home for the May bank holiday, so that they can be a part of the Camino. We’re really hoping this will become an annual event.”
See drumreillycamino.ie for tickets.
Stunning views at Sliabh Liag which is part of the Donegal camino route.
Dromard Camino Walk: takes place in Dromard, Co Longford on Saturday 11 April. This Camino takes in part of Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands region and is in aid of the Assisted Pilgrims Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes in May 2026. Organised by members of Dromard parish and Dromard GAA club, the Camino has two route options, 10km and 20km. See dromardcaminowalk.ie
Achill Camino Challenge: is held on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 April in Achill and Mulranny. The two-day walking festival involves three long-distance walks, taking in parts of the Great Western Greenway and will be led by experienced local guides. See achilltourism.com
Killeshandra Camino Calling: invites walkers on a 35.5km route of the town and wider region on Saturday 20 June, in what has become a popular event in the local tourism calendar. See killeshandracamino.ie
Sligo Annual Camino: will celebrate its 11th annual Camino on Saturday 4 July, when walkers will make the 32.5km journey from Dromahair over the border in Co Leitrim, to Coolaney, in Co Sligo. This walk follows the Sligo Way which takes in a challenging mix of tracks, trails, forest paths, finishing with 8km of country lanes around the Annaghmore Estate. See sligocamino.ie
Donegal Camino: rounds off the summer Camino calendar with a new route added to the annual event which this year takes place from Sunday 30 August to Saturday 5 September. Seven walks, six of which are new to the itinerary are available to walkers with organisers targeting a fundraising total of €165,000 for their chosen charity, Cancer Care West Support Centre, Donegal.Walkers are required to raise €100 per day for each day they walk, with single days to the full seven days available. See donegalcamino.ie
The Camino is synonymous with northern Spain as the historic pilgrimage welcomes hundreds of thousands of walkers each year who navigate nine different pilgrim routes that take in parts of southern France and western Portugal.
However, there’s an Irish option for those who don’t want to venture that far as more and more community groups and charitable organisations host their own Camino events, banking on the scenic surrounds of the Irish countryside offering its own peaceful contemplation for those looking for a quieter pace of life.
A small rural parish, nestled in a corner of north Leitrim, has harnessed its strong community spirit to launch the inaugural Drumreilly Community Camino, taking place over the May bank holiday weekend.
Speaking to Irish Country Living, members of the committee who set up the event, explained why Drumreilly is the perfect location for a Camino walk.
Connell McGovern says the community wanted to celebrate the very special part of the country they are lucky enough to call home, and saw the opportunity to raise money in support of a number of charities in the process.
“I find nature so powerful and healing and as farmers, we don’t always appreciate the amazing countryside we are lucky enough to live and work on,” he explains.
“I think when you go out into the open air and the fields, you have a chance to go into yourself and find a peace you don’t get anywhere else.
“This region is steeped in agriculture, with a lot of suckler farmers around as the ground is quite heavy. We’re on the shores of Drumcoura Lake, and a local farmer, Seamus Quinn, is known for his award-winning Montbéliard cows. While we’re only a small parish, the population is no more than 400 people and we are committed to making this Camino a success.”
The event will raise money for North West Stop, a charity working to prevent suicide in the northwest region, along with a number of ongoing local community projects taking place in Drumreilly.
Local buy-in
Niamh McCabe is 27 and recently returned home to Drumreilly after a number of years living in Australia. A secondary school teacher in Mohill, Niamh grew up on her family’s beef, suckler and organic farm and says she always knew she would return home.
“We are all very proud of our parish and the beautiful landscape we have on our doorstep,” she says.
“We are blessed to call Drumreilly home, which is tucked away in the countryside and feels like a world apart from everywhere, yet Carrick-on-Shannon is only 40 minutes away and we’re an hour from Longford, Cavan and Enniskillen, so we’re central.
“When the call came last October to meet up to discuss events for the coming year, I was delighted to put my name down and there’s been huge buy-in for the Camino from people locally.
“It’s been a brilliant opportunity to get to know other people, from other groups and those who are older than me. I would know them to say hello before this committee was set up, but now, I’d consider them friends.
“We’ve a great mix of people involved, from the men’s and ladies’ football clubs to the active age group and the church choir and parish council. I feel like I’m giving something back to the community and we’ll do all we can to make this Camino a huge success.”
Niamh McCabe, Connell McGovern and Cassie O’Connor preparing for the Drumreilly Community Camino Walk. \Lorraine Teevan
Grá for home
Cassie O’Connor, Niamh’s next door neighbour and fellow teacher, agrees that pride for the parish has been driving the Camino event forward in recent months.
“I was gone for six years, four in college in Maynooth and then I lived in Dublin for two years, but I always knew I’d come home,” she explains.
“I grew up next door to Niamh and we’d regularly meet up at the weekends to go for a walk and catch up with each other.
“There are so many different routes; the bog road, John Tom’s road, and we walk them all without realising how lucky we are to have such natural beauty on our doorstep.
“We got to thinking that maybe this was something we could share with people far and wide, so once the committee was formed, we all agreed on a Camino walk, to celebrate our community and to raise money for some very worthy, local groups.”
The Drumreilly Camino offers three different routes to participants, with a 35km option for the more serious walker. In a bid to make the event as open and family friendly as possible, two shorter routes; 20km and 10.5km are also available on the day.
“We don’t want to exclude anyone, from young families to those who may be older and not as mobile so we hope we’re catering to everyone,” adds Niamh.
Connell says the decision to support North West Stop was down to a number of suicides in the area in recent years.
“Mental health is not something you just talk about, you have to work at it and you have to look out for each other. Every community in the country has been affected by suicide and if we can raise a few euro to support the work being done by organisations like North West Stop, that provides free counselling to people, then we’ll have made a difference,” he says.
“The other recipients of the proceeds from the day include our local active age group, Drumreilly National School, and the community centre.”
Cassie says the pride of people young and old is evident by how many people return to Drumreilly for special occasions, with a big turnout at Christmas helping to kickstart the fundraising for the Camino.
“There is such a grá for home among people from Drumreilly who you are likely to meet in every corner of the world,” she says.
“We have a huge reunion every Christmas and when people heard what we were doing they were all determined to come home for the May bank holiday, so that they can be a part of the Camino. We’re really hoping this will become an annual event.”
See drumreillycamino.ie for tickets.
Stunning views at Sliabh Liag which is part of the Donegal camino route.
Dromard Camino Walk: takes place in Dromard, Co Longford on Saturday 11 April. This Camino takes in part of Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands region and is in aid of the Assisted Pilgrims Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes in May 2026. Organised by members of Dromard parish and Dromard GAA club, the Camino has two route options, 10km and 20km. See dromardcaminowalk.ie
Achill Camino Challenge: is held on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 April in Achill and Mulranny. The two-day walking festival involves three long-distance walks, taking in parts of the Great Western Greenway and will be led by experienced local guides. See achilltourism.com
Killeshandra Camino Calling: invites walkers on a 35.5km route of the town and wider region on Saturday 20 June, in what has become a popular event in the local tourism calendar. See killeshandracamino.ie
Sligo Annual Camino: will celebrate its 11th annual Camino on Saturday 4 July, when walkers will make the 32.5km journey from Dromahair over the border in Co Leitrim, to Coolaney, in Co Sligo. This walk follows the Sligo Way which takes in a challenging mix of tracks, trails, forest paths, finishing with 8km of country lanes around the Annaghmore Estate. See sligocamino.ie
Donegal Camino: rounds off the summer Camino calendar with a new route added to the annual event which this year takes place from Sunday 30 August to Saturday 5 September. Seven walks, six of which are new to the itinerary are available to walkers with organisers targeting a fundraising total of €165,000 for their chosen charity, Cancer Care West Support Centre, Donegal.Walkers are required to raise €100 per day for each day they walk, with single days to the full seven days available. See donegalcamino.ie
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