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faith · Sunday 23 August 2026 · 7:00am 
Lough Derg Pilgrimage, Roosky and Scramogue
At Ballyleague · Ballyleague, Co. Roscommon
At Ballyleague · Ballyleague, Co. Roscommon
The Roosky and Scramogue parish community is organising a day pilgrimage to Lough Derg, County Donegal, on Sunday, 23 August 2026, with the coach departing Ballyleague at 7am. The route out takes in Scramogue, Roosky and Carrick-on-Shannon before continuing on to the lake, a well-established late-summer outing for parishioners who want to make the pilgrimage without staying overnight.
This is a one-day visit to Lough Derg rather than the traditional overnight fasting pilgrimage that the site is best known for, making it accessible to people who would not otherwise manage the longer retreat. Pilgrims travel together by coach, with the day built around prayer, the traditional Lough Derg devotions such as the penitential beds and the basilica, and time for quiet reflection on the island and around the shore. It is a sociable as well as a spiritual occasion, since much of the parish makes the trip as a group, and conversation on the coach is as much a part of the day as the pilgrimage itself. Pilgrims should bring comfortable, sturdy shoes for the walk around the penitential beds and dress for changeable weather, since the site is exposed and much of the day is spent outdoors.
Ballyleague sits on the County Roscommon bank of the Shannon opposite Lanesborough, reached via the N63 or N4. The coach collects passengers at Ballyleague before the route north through Roosky and Carrick-on-Shannon, so this is a group trip rather than a self-drive outing, and anyone wishing to travel should confirm a seat with the parish in advance.
Ballyleague and Lanesborough sit either side of the Shannon and make an easy stop for a bite to eat before an early departure. There is more to see in Roosky and across Co. Roscommon.
Heading to Ballyleague in Ballyleague? Roscommon has plenty more to see. Read the Ballyleague area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.