Part of Errigal mountain path washed away by rain

Errigal is near Gweedore in County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland

People are being asked not to climb the highest mountain in County Donegal after heavy rain washed away parts of a €630,000 (£536,500) pathway.

Errigal is the highest of seven peaks in Donegal's Derryveagh mountains, known as the Seven Sisters.

It is estimated that more than 40,000 people climb Errigal every year.

Work on the 3km pathway started in April 2022 and was completed last October.

The new path was installed to help hikers avoid eroded peat bogs at the bottom of the summit.

Since the path was opened to the public, Errigal has seen a rise in the number of visitors looking to scale its peak, which stands at 751m (2,464 ft).

However, heavy rain in recent days has displaced many parts of the pathway by shifting large stones which must now be refitted and replaced.

It is not know how long the work will take.

Large sections of the pathway have been left exposed by the extreme weather

Cairde na hEaragaile [Friends Of Errigal], which comprises a number of bodies with an interest in protecting the mountainous area, has encouraged hikers to avoid the area.

"Unfortunately, the path was very badly damaged during the downpour on Monday and it has subsequently caused a nearby river along the path to burst its banks due to the torrent of water," project officer Josephine Kelly said.

"The sheer force of the moving water has shifted rocks from the pathway and has exposed the uneven ground underneath.

"We respectfully ask people to not climb the mountain at this time due to the condition of the pathway because other areas at the bottom are simply not good underfoot and there is a lot of loose stone."

Extensive rainfall caused a river near the bottom of the mountain to overflow

Stephen Bell from Awaken Adventure would organise hiking excursions up Errigal and told BBC News NI the path had been destroyed by the rain.

Mr Bell hiked the mountain with a few people on Tuesday and said he was surprised to see how much damage was done.

"The path was installed to help protect the landscape from further damage and erosion because the lower section of the summit would be bogland and difficult to traverse for people," he said.

"I was actually saying recently how great the path was and it was really quite shocking to see."

Mr Bell said he hoped the path could be repaired soon to allow visitors to experience the beautiful scenery without damaging the surrounding the area.

BBC News NI has approached Donegal County Council for comment.