Reaching the summit of the Cairn

TOMORROW morning (Sunday, July 25), people will gather in the Gortin Glens at the foot of Mullaghcarn to make the historic, traditional walk to the peak of the mountain.

Taking place on what is known as ‘Cairn Sunday’, some of them will be steady strollers who have latched onto the ancient walk to enjoy some outdoor exercise, while others in attendance will be on an altogether more spiritual plane, mindful that their ascent the mountain follows in the footsteps of their ancient ancestors.

The objective of these neo-pilgrims? To add a stone to the cairn at the summit, thus connecting with the past – and maybe something even more transcendent.

Mullach Cairn translates to ‘the summit of the cairn’ – a cairn being a man-made mound of stones.

You’ve probably seen them before: Sometimes they look like tall, physics-defying towers of single stones stacked one-by-one to form a precariously-balanced column. Other times, cairns are messy mountains of pebbles, stones and rocks. The latter is what the Cairn Sunday walkers will be looking forward to adding their stones to.

Cairns provided a range of functions in the lives of our ancient relatives. Sometimes they served a practical purpose, used in defence and hunting, but more commonly a cairn was of a spiritual or ceremonial nature, perhaps indicating a memorial ground or marking a site of religious significance.

But where a cairn is found at altitude-sitting on a mountain peak or hilltop – its strategic location was often chosen because of its proximity to the divine: the Cairn at Mullaghcarn would have brought our ancestors closer to God and the Heavens.

But, as the culture of our ancestors evolved, and Paganism ceded ground to Christianity, the nature of the pilgrimage also morphed.

Music and drink-inspired dance and romance, and the inebriating atmosphere present at the annual festivities in the sky was believed to nurture a prime opportunity for courting and matchmaking.

But for many years, the Cairn Walk feel into a deep sleep, only to be resurrected in 1997 by a conglomerate of local community groups.

Each summer since, hundreds of people have made the trek up the mountain, adding their stone to the growing cairn at the top.

It is customary to make a wish as you toss your rock onto the cairn.

Cairn Sunday 2021

This Sunday, when the first participants depart from the ‘Trail Head’ – beside the Gortin Glens cafe – at 9am, they will be doing so in the shadows of their pagan ancestors, to whom the origins of this perennial practice can be traced back to over a thousand years ago.

Before the pandemic, it used to be that one single group of 300-400 would traverse the mountain, packed together like a migrating herd, making sure that nobody wandered off-track and got lost.

But because of Covid-19, the unitary group will fragment into smaller groups.

However, getting lost is no longer a reasonable fear because the whole route is clearly signposted, thanks to the council’s good work within the Gortin Glens.

This year, too, there is a shuttle run available for those who aren’t fit to walk to the top, but still want to enjoy the view and make their stony contribution to the cairn.

If the clouds are agreeable, from the summit of Mullaghcarn you can see the mountains and monoliths of the East and West – Mount Errigal in Donegal and Sleive Donard in Down.

The new information panels installed by the council provide information and help guide your gaze in the right direction so you can cast an educated eye over the finer features of the expansive view from the top.

So, go along to the Sunday’s Cairn Walk, whatever your motive: Whether you want to reawaken the pagan spirit that lays dormant in your genes, or simply just want to give your Fitbit 10,000 less reasons to let off a guilt-inducing bleep-of-shame as you settle into the sofa on Sunday evening.

Quite simply, you are guaranteed to feel better in yourself after than you did before.

• The Cairn Sunday walk will take place on Sunday, July 23, from ‘Trail Head’ (beside the Gortin Glens cafe), beginning at 9am. Everyone is welcome.