St. Patrick’s Mountain: In Ireland, both pilgrims and tourists visit

WESTPORT, Ireland — Shrouded in mist, the sacred mountain rises above the countryside, majestic, mysterious and a little foreboding.

Here, on this rocky west coast promontory overlooking the Atlantic, St. Patrick is says to have fasted for 40 days and nights as he wrestled with demons and banished snakes from Ireland.

Every March 17, the world throws a lavish celebration for the fifth-century preacher who tramped around Ireland converting its people and spinning endless miracles along the way. Revelers around the globe slurp green beer, host parades and wear silly hats.

But those who truly want to honor the patron saint come to Croagh Patrick, a remote, rugged mountain in County Mayo, which draws over a million pilgrims and tourists each year.