How the demons came to Lough Derg

How the demons came to Lough Derg

Lough Derg--Purgatory--Folklore--Demons

"Some of the evil spirits settled on the Island of Swimmers to which they gave the name of demons. The demonaic island in truth is girded by an inland lake..."

Shane Leslie, 1885-1971

Translated from the Latin of Patritiana Decas By Philip O'Sulevan Beare, Book 9, Chap. 9), Leslie, Shane, Saint Patrick's Purgatory: A Record from History and Literature, pp. 13-14

Burns Oats and Washbourne Ltd, London

1932

Citation for the purposes of criticism

Collection of sources

English

Monograph

DD_0079

54.6083, -7.8714

"Some of the evil spirits settled on the Island of Swimmers to which they gave the name of demons. The demonaic island in truth is girded by an inland lake. That lake is called Derg: situate in Ulster and almost rounded in shape and about a thousand paces long in the mid boundaries of Tirconnell, Tyrone and Fermanagh. It contains islands and two are celebrated. The Island of St Dabheoc is venerable by reason of his tomb. The other is infested by crowds of evil spirits and for that reason called the Islands of Demons. To this island Patrick pursued the evil spirits, to drive them from the whole boundaries of Ireland. Here an Angel showed him an obscure cave and said it was the entrance to Purgatory and confirmed that whosoever entered absolved by the Priest from his sins should obtain pardon and not be conquered by his enemies in this life and see the final doom that sinners are compelled to endure. This ditch Patrick erected with wall and gates. Near by the founded and committed a Church to the rule of Religious and gave them the keys of the cave. A half of the Island of Demons he abstracted from the evil spirits and gave to them. He himself often descended into Purgatory by that cave."

Monograph