An early description of the stations of Station Island

An early description of the stations of Station Island

Lough Derg--Station Island--Pilgrimage--Stations

"An early writer describing the place, says — 'As soon as the pilgrims come within sight of the holy island, they pull off their shoes and stockings, and uncover their heads, and walk thus with their beads in one hand, and sometimes a cross in the other, to the lake-side, from whence they are wafted over, paying every one six-pence for their freight..."

Philip Dixon Hardy, 1794-1875

Hardy, Philip Dixon, The Holy Wells of Ireland : Containing an Authentic Account of Those Various Places of Pilgrimage and Penance Which Are Still Annually Visited by Thousands of the Roman Catholic Peasantry. With a Minute Description of the Patterns and Stations Periodically Held in Various Districts of Ireland, p. 6-7

Hardy & Walker, Dublin

1840

Digitised by archive.org, sponsored by Boston Public Library

Public domain

Monograph

English

Holy wells

Text

DD_0017

54.608913,-7.870977

http://archive.org/details/holywellsofirela00hard

"An early writer describing the place, says — 'As soon as the pilgrims come within sight of the holy island, they pull off their shoes and stockings, and uncover their heads, and walk thus with their beads in one hand, and sometimes a cross in the other, to the lake-side, from whence they are wafted over, paying every one six-pence for their freight. After landing, they go immediately to the Prior, and humbly ask his blessing ; and then to St. Patrick’s Altar, where, kneeling down, they say one Pater, one Ave, and one creed. Rising up, they kiss the stone of the Altar, and from thence go into the Chapel, where they say three Paters, three Aves, and one Creed. Then, beginning at a corner of the chapel, they walk round it and St. Patrick’s Altar seven times, saying a decad (that is ten ave Marys, and one pater noster) every round. In the first and last circuit, they kiss the cross that is before the chapel, and touch it with their shoulders, the last circuit. Next, they go to the penitential beds, every one of which they surround thrice outwardly saying three paters, three aves, and one creed. Then kneeling, they say three paters, three aves, and one creed. After which they enter the bed, and circuiting it thrice in the inside, they say three paters, three aves, and one creed ; which done, they kneel and say again, three paters, three aves, and one creed. All this must be performed at each bed. Leaving the penal beds, they go to the water’s edge, saying five paters, five aves, and one creed. From the water they return to the chapel, where they repeat the lady’s psalter, (which consists of fifty aves, and five paters, and, according to some, of one hundred and fifty aves and fifteen paters.) And thus they finish one station, which must be performed thrice a day , about sun-rising, noon, and sun-setting ; no other food but bread and water being allowed the pilgrims. On the ninth day, the prior'puts the pilgrims into the prison, a place into which the light of day is not allowed to enter, and which has been substituted for the cave now closed up, where they are closely shut up for twenty-four hours. During this time, all manner of refreshment is kept from them, and they are debarred of the liberty of answering the necessities of nature ; but, above all things, they are cautioned not to sleep, the prior telling them, that the devil will certainly carry them away, if he should catch them napping.'"

Monograph