Walkers have been asked not to climb up Errigal Mountain after heavy rain caused severe damage to the new pathway.
A safer 3km pathway up Donegal’s most iconic mountain was completed last October at a cost of more than €630,000 to the summit.
Since then the mountain has enjoyed a huge rise in the number of visitors looking to scale to the top of the 751-metre (2,464 ft) peak.
Each week hundreds of locals and visitors are now undertaking the challenge in a bid to share the breathtaking views from the top of Errigal.
However, a spokesperson for the Errigal Mountain Project has now asked the public not to use the pathway for the moment.
Part of the damaged pathway. Pic by Errigal Mountain.
More damage on the pathway. Pic by Errigal Mountain.
A spokesperson said “Unfortunately, the path on Errigal was very badly damaged during the severe rain yesterday afternoon (Monday).
“We have assessed the situation and see no option but to close the path until we decide on a course of action on how to repair the damage.
“This is extremely unfortunate as there has been a huge investment by the local community and Donegal County Council both in terms of time, effort and finances.
“We respectfully ask that you do not climb the mountain at this time.”
Work on compiling the new pathway began in April 2022 by the McGowan Environmental Engineering team after safety concerns were expressed by Donegal County Council.
The new path has brought great relief to climbers already as they can now avoid the eroded peat bog at the bottom of the summit.
Stone steps were placed on the majority of the hill, which had become badly eroded from the thousands of footsteps that displaced rocks in the past.
As hikers have been encouraged to stick to the new path, the surrounding mountain habitat is said to be recovering well.
However, the heavy rain in recent days have displaced many parts of the pathway by shifting large stones which now have to be refitted and replaced.
A timescale on that repair work is not yet known.
Funding for the project came through the ‘Sustainable Access & Restoration Project’ which is funded by the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme and managed by Donegal County Council.
