Pilgrimages
Even the Irish pilgrims wishing to walk to Santiago can now ask and get the so-called “Compostela”, the certificate issued by the ecclesial authority in Santiago de Compostela attesting to the completion of the pilgrimage to the tomb of St James the Apostle. In order to receive it, pilgrims will have to collect stamps testifying that they have walked at least 100 kilometres. Those coming from Ireland usually cross the sea by boat to the port of A Coruña, the nearest Spanish port to Ireland. The Spanish port, however, is only 75-kilometre walking distance from Santiago. But now, under a new rule, pilgrims will be able to complete the first leg of their pilgrimage on the green island, walking from Dungarvan to Kilmacthomas, a 25-kilometre route called “Waterford Greenway”, along which they can collect the stamps they need to reach the threshold of 100 kilometres and obtain the “Compostela” once they arrive in Santiago. The new route was officially launched this week to mark the celebrations for St James’ Day. As the website catholicireland.net explains, the Waterford Greenway is a route that pilgrims in medieval times would use to get to the tomb of the Saint in Spain, alongside the Tralee-Dingle route, the Celtic route that pilgrims would take to get to Dingle, another port that was used at the time to reach Spain.
