St. Patrick
Croagh Patrick
The holy mountain where St. Patrick fasted forty days, climbed by thousands every Reek Sunday — some of them barefoot. Three to four hours up and back, and Clew Bay spread out below.
Destinations / Ireland & the British Isles
with St. Patrick and the English Martyrs
Ireland & the
British Isles
Knock, Croagh Patrick, Walsingham and Iona — the faith that refused to die.
The British Isles hold two Catholic stories, and they are not the same. Ireland kept the faith and exported it, sending monks across a collapsing Europe. England lost it by statute and then held it in secret — priest holes, hedge Masses, and a steady supply of martyrs at Tyburn.
A ProRome pilgrimage here can follow either thread or both. In Ireland: Knock, where fifteen people watched an apparition in the rain for two hours in 1879; Croagh Patrick, climbed barefoot by some; and the monastic ruins of Glendalough and Clonmacnoise.
In England: Walsingham, called England’s Nazareth and walked by every medieval king until Henry VIII destroyed it; Canterbury and the place where Becket fell; and the recusant houses of the north, where families hid priests for two centuries. Scotland adds Iona, where Columba landed, and Pluscarden, where Benedictines still sing.
9
Nights Abroad
Recommended
Daily
Mass at
Sacred Sites
3
Lodging Styles
To Choose From
25–500+
Pilgrims
Per Group
Where You Will Pray
The places that make a British Isles pilgrimage
Our Lady of Knock
Knock & the West
The gable wall where Our Lady, St. Joseph and St. John appeared to fifteen witnesses in the rain in 1879, and the Atlantic coast that surrounds it — Westport, Clew Bay and its hundred islands.
St. Kevin
Glendalough
The monastic city in the valley of two lakes, its round tower standing a thousand years after the monks who built it. An hour from Dublin and the quietest morning of most weeks.
Our Lady of Walsingham
Walsingham
England’s Nazareth — a shrine founded in 1061 and walked to by every English king until Henry VIII destroyed it. The Holy Mile from the Slipper Chapel is still walked barefoot by those who choose to.
St. Thomas Becket
Canterbury
The spot in the north transept where Becket was cut down by four knights in 1170, the crypt where he first lay, and the road medieval England walked to reach him.
St. Columba
Iona
The island where Columba landed in 563 with twelve companions and from which Scotland was converted. Two ferries to reach it, and worth every hour of both.
The Ground You Cover
Ireland and Britain, site by site
Click any marker to see what is there and how long groups usually stay.
Legend
- Ireland
- England & Scotland
Nowhere is off limits
These are the sites groups ask for most — not a list of where we can go. Recusant Lancashire, the Welsh shrines, Lough Derg and Skellig Michael are all within reach. If there is a place your group cares about, tell us and we will build the road to it.
A Sample Nine Nights
The Emerald Isle
Nine nights abroad is what we recommend for Ireland alone. Groups wanting Ireland and Britain together should plan on twelve or more — the ferry and the distances are real.
Day 1
Depart the United States
Overnight flight to Dublin.
Day 2
Arrive in Dublin
Transfer, opening Mass, and the Book of Kells at Trinity in the afternoon.
Day 3
Glendalough and the Wicklow hills
St. Kevin’s monastic city, the round tower, and Mass in the valley.
Day 4
West to Galway
Across the country by way of Clonmacnoise on the Shannon, arriving on the west coast.
Day 5
Knock
Mass at the apparition gable, the basilica, and the museum. Many groups find this the quietest day of the week.
Day 6
Croagh Patrick and Westport
The climb for those who want it, the harbour town for those who do not.
Day 7
South to Killarney
The Cliffs of Moher and the Burren on the way down the coast.
Day 8
The Ring of Kerry
A full day around the peninsula, with Muckross Abbey and Mass along the way.
Day 9
Kerry to Dublin
The Rock of Cashel, where St. Patrick baptised the King of Munster, then east to the capital.
Day 10
Dublin
A free morning, closing Mass, and a group dinner in the city.
Day 11
Return home
Transfer to Dublin airport, with your tour manager through to the gate.
This is a starting point, not a package. Groups regularly add Walsingham and Canterbury in England, Iona and Pluscarden in Scotland, or build the whole pilgrimage around the English Martyrs instead.
What it costs
$3,000–$3,500
Student groups · per pilgrim, land only
$3,800–$4,500
Adult groups · per pilgrim, land only
Both ranges are all-inclusive on the ground and vary with the season you travel. Airfare is quoted separately — see the FAQ below for how that works.
- Lodging matched to your group — religious guesthouse, four-star hotel, or five-star
- Daily breakfast and most dinners
- Private motorcoach and all ground transfers
- Catholic guides throughout
- All entrance fees and site reservations
- Daily Mass arranged and reserved
- A ProRome tour manager for the full trip
Where you stay
Religious guesthouses. Knock and Walsingham both have houses run by orders and pilgrim hostels a short walk from the shrine. Elsewhere in Ireland and Britain the guesthouse tradition is thinner than on the continent, and most groups choose hotels.
Four-star hotels. More space, more amenities, and the option most parish groups choose.
Five-star. For groups who want it, we build it — and we will tell you honestly what it adds and what it does not.
The choice is yours on every pilgrimage, and it moves the price more than any other decision.
When to go
May to September is the season — long evenings, and the west of Ireland at its best in June.
Late July brings Reek Sunday, when thousands climb Croagh Patrick, some barefoot. Worth building around if your group wants it.
Winter is short on daylight and many rural sites reduce hours, though Christmas in Ireland has its own pull.
Rain is not a season here, it is a condition. We plan indoor alternatives into every day rather than pretending otherwise.
What Sets Us Apart
Your guide is a missionary, not a tour guide
ProRome guides are trained missionaries with degrees from Catholic universities. They are not working from a script, and they are not reciting dates from a plaque.
The English Martyrs in particular need explaining rather than reciting. A guide who can make a group understand what a priest hole was actually for, and what it cost a family to build one, turns a stately home into a pilgrimage site.
Common Questions
Planning a British Isles pilgrimage
Should we do Ireland, Britain, or both?
They are different pilgrimages. Ireland is the faith that was kept and exported — Knock, Croagh Patrick, and the monastic ruins. England is the faith that was outlawed and held in secret — Walsingham, Canterbury, and the martyrs. Nine nights does either one well; both together needs twelve or more, because the crossing and the distances are real.
Do we have to climb Croagh Patrick?
No. The climb takes three to four hours return and is rough underfoot, so we build the day so that those who want it can go while the rest of the group spends the morning in Westport and at the shrine at the base. Nobody is left sitting on a coach.
How much does a British Isles pilgrimage cost?
Student groups typically run $3,000 to $3,500 per pilgrim and adult groups $3,800 to $4,500, land only and all-inclusive on the ground, varying with the season. Airfare is quoted separately because airlines do not release group fares until roughly eleven months before your return date.
Where do groups stay?
That is your choice. Knock and Walsingham both have houses run by orders within a short walk of the shrine. Elsewhere the guesthouse tradition is thinner than on the continent and most groups choose four-star hotels, though five-star itineraries are available throughout.
What is Walsingham?
England’s Nazareth — a shrine founded in 1061 around a replica of the Holy House, walked to by every English king for five centuries until Henry VIII had it destroyed in 1538. It was refounded in the twentieth century, and the last mile is still walked barefoot by pilgrims who choose to.
Can we visit Iona?
Yes, though it takes planning. Iona is reached by ferry to Mull, a drive across the island, and a second ferry — a full day from Oban, and worth every hour of it. Groups usually pair it with Pluscarden Abbey, where Benedictines still sing the office.
How far in advance should we start planning?
Twelve to eighteen months. Summer lodging in the west of Ireland and around Reek Sunday is the constraint.
How does airfare work?
Airlines do not release group fares until roughly eleven months before your return date, so airfare is quoted separately from the land price. That gives you two ways to launch. You can launch land-only now, start registering pilgrims at the land price, and add airfare once it opens — the usual choice when a group wants a long recruiting window. Or you can wait until the eleven-month mark, let us contract the air, and launch one all-inclusive price, which is simpler for pilgrims but shortens the time you have to fill the trip. We will tell you which fits your group when we talk.
Let’s build your British Isles pilgrimage
Tell us your group, your dates, and what is on your parish’s heart. We will come back with an itinerary and a price — no obligation, and no template.
Request a Custom Proposal →