LOUGH DERG IRELAND
St. Patrick's Purgatory
June of this year I visited Lough Derg Ireland's National Shrine of Pilgrimage. I had
intended to visit the Island at the millennium in search some of the mysticism which surround the Island's early history. I arrived on Saturday June 30th and that evening began the vigil required of all three day pilgrims. The Island was easily seen from shore being no more than a half of a mile out. On arrival at the Island the pilgrims were take to their assigned dorms and instructed to immediately remove their shoes.
Having arrived by the first boat of the morning to the island I had plenty of time to explore
the Island and its buildings. Prior to scouting the island I made a quick visit to the Island's only book store and purchased three books on the Island early history. None of the source I purchased went into much detail on the legend of Saint Patrick's slaying of the Serpent though reference was made to the famous Irish text Acallam na Senorach (Colloguy of the
Ancients). It was in this text that the name of the lake was explained being derived from
the word dearg or red, which was alleged to have come from the blood of the last
remaining serpent slew by Patrick. This Serpent was the mother and last of all the
serpents. The Serpent is not seen as a snake but typically as a winged creature like the
monstrous lion-headed bird Imdugud shown in early Mesoptamian Art, representing evil
and demonic powers. Patrick's slaying of this or a like creature may be allegorical to his
casting of the beast down into the bowels of the earth. Possible later only accessible
through a hole as depicted in a painted manuscript in the Biliotheque Nationale, Parris, where St Patrick is given by Christ the Bacall Iosa, his pastoral staff, and is shown
purgatory which lies within the pit below.
Prior to the beginning of the evening vigil I participate in the three stations as required of all pilgrims. Beginning at the Cross of St. Patrick, I first noticed the peculiar cut or notch made directly in the top of this metal (iron) cross. After conpleting the next three
stations I had a opportunity to speak with one of three priests their on the Island. My first question to the priest was what was the reason or significance of the notch in Saint Patrick's Cross?. The priest was not only unable to answer my question but seem to want to discount any relevance or meaning for the cut being there in the first place. Having no luck with this question I proceeded to my next which was; Are the clockwise circles made around the pentitential bed akin to the counter clockwise
circumambulation's performed in Druid rite of calling up the devil from the bowels of the
earth, only in reverse? The priest again had no answer. My last question to the priest was Isn't the shape of St. Brigid's Cross and those of the many mosaic plates hung on the walls of the Basilica the same cross type/design used by the Portugal Knights Templar? Again no answer was available. The images that surround me and
ancient rites I found myself performing seem to be more pagan than early medieval Christian. As I walked by my right hand (Clockwise) four time around the Basilica I studied the upper structure of the dome, to my amazement I noticed that a compartment or apartment existed in the upper part of the dome which was not visible from the dome's interior. This space appeared inaccessible from either the inside or outside of the Basilica. Study of the Basilica's exterior revealed that the hidden apartment's window were in sets of six on each of the eight sides of the upper dome. When viewed from a frontal positions each of the three facades visible could be read or interpeted as 666 a number associated with the mark of the Beast. Could this just be another coincidence? I reentered the Basilica to more closely examined the dome's interior, this is when I noticed the horned stags which were positioned atop each of four wall chandeliers mounted in the upper dome. What I found somewhat disturbing was that their shapes were almost identical to stags depicted with the Imdugud in a wall relief from the Temple of the goddess Ninhursag at Tell-al-Ubaid dated 3000 BCE. Another possible explanation could be that the stags were representative of one of the Island's early Priors, Father Anthony Doherty. Father Doherty family coat of arms does depicted an antlered stag though I find this possibility remote. The Doherty coat
of arms is one of the three stones imbedded into the side of the Basilica next to St.
Brigid's Cross. As I studied the Basilica's interior and its dome, it became apparent to me
that the dome was very similar to an eleventh century Knights Templar dome I toured in
downtown London some years earlier. The Basilica's main chandelier is suspended
directly from the center of the dome not dissimilar to the pendulum in a Templar dome
which would have been suspended directly above a formee's cross(Celtic Cross enclosed within a circle) typically found in the center of the floor below. The main chandelier in the Basilica was notable different, not simply because of the location of the statue of Saint Patrick which sat atop it's lit globes but because of the three concentric circular Templar like crosses through which the
chandler's chains passed, allowing it to be raised or lowered. Other oddities included four mosaic pictures placed in the railing separating the pews from the raised alter. Directly in front of the tabernacle was a depiction of the winged serpent or Indugud flanked on it's left by what appeared to be the Bull of Heaven(both Apocalyptic images). On the other side of the Basilica's were two more mosaics, one of a man and the second of a winged creature (also from the Old Testament).
Throughout the night and early morning four more set of station were performed within
the Basilica, with the pilgrim walking in circles around the church pews. It was at that time I realized that the barefoot requirement were the same ones required of the Jews when
they were in proximity to the Ark of the Covenant. Could the Basilica possible contain
the Lost Ark alleged to have been removed by the Knights Templer from Jerusalem? Why
were the Templar Crosses so prominently displayed throughout the Basilica? During one
of the stations I had an opportunity to examine more closely one of the Templar Cross and
its candle holder below. Reaching into the well of the holder I discovered thick dust
indicating that it hadn't been used for many years or possibly not since the consecration of
the Basilica in 1929. Between each station we were allowed outside of the Basilica to pray and circumnavigate it, I took these opportunities to return to St. Patrick's Cross
where I discovered that the cross notch was perfectly aligned with a light only visible at
night. The light was approximately two to three miles ashore. I shared my discovery with
one of the visiting priest also participating in the vigil who simply thought it was another of many coincident. That same night at 2:00 a.m. I observe a light was now visible from the six windows of the apartment atop the dome. The unusual nature of the rituals performed, the absence of knowledge of the origin of the symbols within the Basilica and lack of interest by the other pilgrims about their immediate surroundings shocked me. I can only assume that majority of these individuals were there simply to blindly perform what was asked of them. Most of the pilgrim had little or no understanding of the historical accounts
regarding the penitential beds which had been desecrated on three separate occasions, first
in 836 by the Vikings, second in 1070 by Irish Chieftains and then finally in 1632 the beds
were totally uprooted and thrown into the lake by the Lords of Justice. After a careful comparision Carve's 1666 map of the Island and the penitential beds location then and now, it becomes evident that all the bed's location and placement pattern have been changed. During the reconstruction of the beds in the late 17th century It appears likely that some sick minded individual rebuilt the beds unevenly with jagged rock edges exposed. Having experienced first hand the rain and windy island conditions, I find it highly unlikely that the four master would have constructed their beehive cells(penitential beds) in this
idiotic fashion. Today's pilgrims are going way beyond what they should in physically
abusing themselves by walking these beds as a subterfuge to the real reasons for their
barefoot walking of the island. Though I participate in this ritual without injury many
pilgrims did not. I left the island having gained little knowledge of any of its mysteries but did experience an adventure that was worth my trip.
