The three days follow a fixed pattern. Boats cross daily between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. (under ten minutes); no advance booking is required, though online or phone booking is available at +353 71 986 1518. Pilgrims remove shoes and socks on arrival and begin the station prayers at the penitential beds. The vigil runs from 10:00 p.m. on the first day to 10:00 p.m. on the second, with a rest window from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. beforehand. Fasting lasts until midnight of the third day, with one Lough Derg meal a day of black tea or coffee, dry toast and oatcakes. Pilgrims aged 15 to 18 must be accompanied by a parent.
The One Day Retreat is a guided day of prayer on the island without the vigil or the fast, wearing shoes. The 2026 dates are May 3, 4, 9, 12, 17, 23 and 25; August 18, 22, 23, 29 and 31; and September 5, 6, 9, 12, 15, 19 and 20. It must be booked online. Student concessions of 15 percent and group and senior concessions apply to the three-day fee; prices are stated as subject to change. 2027 dates had not been published as of October 2026.
Pack warm, waterproof layers, a change of clothes, a towel, rosary beads, any medication, sunscreen and insect repellent. The island is reached from Pettigo, with car and coach parking at the lakeshore; it is about 2.5 to 3 hours by road from Dublin and about 2 from Knock.