This footfall has transformed the economy of the hitherto untouristy northwest of Spain since new-age pilgrim walkers are, in many ways, the ideal visitors. Differing from traditional tourists in how their expenditure is, of necessity, heavily concentrated close to the path, Camino pilgrims transfer their spending into the rural countryside. They also prioritise slow and sustainable tourism, facilitate family-owned business start-ups and revitalise rural hospitality offerings.

The Galician region now benefits to the tune of €500m per year, with the University of Santiago estimating that the Camino has created 20,000 additional jobs. And these benefits accrue from a discerning and cohesive visitor group renowned for a light footfall and the fact that a higher percentage of their spending is made locally and remains in the community.

Irish opportunity

Until recently, few of the pilgrim walkers contributing so generously to the Spanish economy would have imagined Ireland as an alternative destination. Received wisdom held that this country, despite its reputation as “the island of saints and scholars”, possessed little in the way of reverential trails.

On the contrary, Ireland has a dense network of paths that were held sacred by our ancestors. All Irish routes long predate the Camino, some by up to a thousand years, but with the passage of time and the coming of the Penal Laws, these ancient trails moved beyond the realm of human consciousness and were seldom walked. 

It is a truism, however, that the past never completely vanishes, and so it has come to pass that Ireland’s pilgrim paths have recently enjoyed a resurgence

Communities are coming together to reopen and promote the ancient reverential trails in their locality, with the result that pilgrim walkers are now returning to them in increasing numbers. It may surprise some readers to learn that Knockmealdown Active, an entirely volunteer-driven community organisation, attracted almost a thousand participants and created hundreds of bed nights with an organised walk along St Declan’s Way, which took place earlier this year.

It may also be a surprise to discover that Ireland now offers more than 500km of fully waymarked pilgrim paths. Most reach back to pre-Christian times and all are comparable in standard and attractiveness with any available overseas. 

Yet, we have done little at the national level to build awareness in overseas tourism markets of Ireland's rich inheritance and strong penitential tradition

And undoubtedly there is latent demand for pilgrim walking in Ireland, especially among our diaspora. Once made aware of Ireland’s abundance of sacred trails from past times, many come to see them as a way of reconnecting with their roots. Figures from Pilgrim Paths Ireland show that, since the inauguration of the Irish Pilgrim Passport, which is available from Ballintubber Abbey, Co Mayo, almost half the walkers, who completed the 120km walk on five Irish paths to claim a Teastas Oilithreachta (completion certificate), came from overseas.

Hospitality investment

The private and community sectors have been taking note of this footfall. As an example, the growing popularity of St Declan’s Way means there has been a noticeable increase in hospitality investment along the route. The former Cistercian Abbey at Mount Melleray, Co Waterford, now boasts a state-of-the-art hostel specifically aimed to service walkers. A community-owned pod park in Lismore and a farm-based pod park at Newcastle, Co Tipperary, have recently opened, while a boutique accommodation offering is nearing completion at the former Walsh’s Hotel in Cappoquin.

The Spanish experience and the growing evidence from St Declan’s Way show clearly that an influx of pilgrim walkers can be a catalyst for reversing rural decline 

Undoubtedly, much more business for rural Ireland could be created with targeted overseas promotion of our pilgrim inheritance, but there seems to be little awareness within Tourism Ireland of the untapped potential offered by Ireland’s ancient paths.

While details of a few pilgrim walks can be found by searching the Discover Ireland website with the keywords “pilgrim walks”, there is no dedicated portal for the pilgrim paths, with St Declan’s Way, the most popular long-distance path, not mentioned. Simply put, anyone trying to research the full offering of pilgrim walks in Ireland is flying blind. What is need is a dedicated portal for the Irish pilgrim paths on Discover Ireland, with an updated listing of organised pilgrim walk events. 

A number of Irish community groups are currently working together as Pilgrim Paths Ireland to increase footfall on their local trails, yet there it seems that  nobody is mandated to coordinate their efforts. A need now exists for a Failte Ireland role specifically mandated with the task of developing and promoting pilgrim walking and liaising with local groups.

Incentives should also be provided to encourage the development of small rural guest houses and B&Bs that are close to the busiest trails and are prepared to offer drying facilities and luggage transfer, when needed. This would allow for unsupported walking without the need for motorised backup and should make our paths more attractive for overseas walkers.

While we now look ahead to a bright future for Irish tourism, it may be that it is from the past we will find the best answers.

• Further information on the Irish Pilgrim Paths can be found here

• John G O’Dwyer’s latest book, 'Great Irish Pilgrim Journeys', is available from Gill Books.