Thousands of people have climbed Croagh Patrick in Co Mayo for the annual Reek Sunday pilgrimage.
Among them was Archbishop Eamon Martin, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, who celebrated mass in the small church at the summit following the climb.
Pilgrims have been climbing the mountain for over 1,500 years. In 441, St Patrick is said to have spent 40 days and 40 nights fasting on the summit of the 765-metre high mountain.
In his homily, Archbishop Martin said: "Croagh Patrick, represents the rock from which we, the people of Ireland, were hewn.
"Today's pilgrimage links our past, present and future and it continues to nurture the spiritual memory and identity of this country."
This year's Reek Sunday is dedicated to vocations to the priesthood.
It has been designated as one of the key initiatives to highlight the Year for Vocations to the Diocesan Priesthood taking place across Ireland over 2023 and 2024.
The early climbers got the best of the weather at Croagh Patrick.
The mist and rain closed in as the morning went on making conditions more challenging.
Some still did it the traditional way, in their bare feet, but the majority were well clad in hiking boots and all-weather gear for a mountain which can see the weather change within minutes.
Two young men studying for the priesthood with the Dominican order, Brother Philip and Brother Michael, said they were delighted to be there to help promote vocations.
Brother Philip said so many young people do not realise what a wonderful life you can have, dedicating yourself to God.
They hoped that people would chat to them along the way and have conversations about vocations.
People travelled from all over the country, some leaving home in the very early hours to make the journey to Croagh Patrick.
Kitty Ross was there from the Legion of Mary in Longford, offering holy medals to pilgrims which she said would protect them and which she hoped people would wear all the time.
Gordon Celender, an American living in Ireland for about 20 years, has done the Reek many times.
Today he was heading up with his guitar to play at one of the masses being celebrated in the church at the summit.
Mr Celender said he gets a spiritual lift from being there and feels close to the patron saint of Ireland every time he goes up the mountain.
For Elizabeth O'Neill from Tipperary, Croagh Patrick had been on her bucket list for a long time and she felt that Reek Sunday was the day to do it because, she said, all the emergency services were there in case anything happened.
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Archbishop Martin said the church is very conscious that the numbers coming forward for the priesthood now are dwindling.
However, he said they want to keep the tradition of providing spiritual leadership in Ireland and he appealed to people to pray that more people would come forward to the priesthood.
Father Charlie McDonnell, Administrator of the local parish of Westport, said: "Our church needs vocations to the priesthood like never before.
"No doubt it is a challenging time to minister as a priest, but in my role I find that serving the people of God in today's counter-cultural environment is nothing short of a faith-enriching experience."
A special stand is in place at the base of Croagh Patrick for Reek Sunday to raise awareness of vocations and offer information on the priesthood.
Fr McDonnell added: "For this Reek Sunday, I invite any man who is discerning a vocation to the priesthood to avail of the opportunity to come to Croagh Patrick and pray, climb and reflect with other priests and members of the faithful."
He highlighted the importance of conserving the natural environment of "Ireland's Holy Mountain" for current and for future generations and appealed to pilgrims to play their responsible part "to sustain this holy site for future generations".
Fr McDonnell said that in recent years the Croagh Patrick Stakeholders' Group has achieved monumental success in helping to preserve and safeguard the mountain.
He asked pilgrims to adhere to best practice guidelines including car-pooling, staying on the defined path while climbing, leave no litter, respect the mountain streams and don't bring any dogs.
Last year was the first year since 2019 that the Reek Sunday pilgrimage was held as normal due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Fr McDonnell said then that there were more people climbing than he had expected and that the tradition is "holding its own".
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