St Patrick’s Day is celebrated all around the world. However, for many it is simply a party, rather than a chance to celebrate Ireland’s patron saint. This is strange, because Saint Patrick had a dramatic life.
As a young lad of sixteen years he was captured by a band of raiders near Bologne in Gaul and taken with many others to slavery in Ireland. He was first brought to Mayo, but later sold to an Antrim farmer and he spent six years in captivity as a shepherd on Slemish Mountain.
One cold winter’s night, while Patrick slept, he heard a voice telling him “it is well that you fast, soon you will go to your own country” and a short time later the voice said to him “Look, your ship is ready”.
The spirit guided Patrick to the south of Ireland near Wicklow where he boarded a ship with a cargo of dogs bound for Gaul.
At this time an invasion of Gaul had left much of it desolate. Patrick and the crew of the boat wandered for 28 days until all food had run out. Patrick said to the crew “turn to God and he will provide” and suddenly a herd of pigs appeared and they had food once more. Patrick had performed his first miracle.
For a number of years Patrick wandered through Gaul. Conscious of his lack of formal training in theology and law he spent his time talking to and learning from the wise deacons and Bishops and soon he was made a Bishop in Rome.
He was lonely in Gaul so he went to visit his relations in Britain. While he was there he had another vision in which a man arrived from Ireland with many letters, including one for himself. The letter said “We ask you boy to come and walk once more among us”. Patrick was delighted and went to Ireland immediately.
The people of Ireland at this time were pagans under the influence of the Druids. Patrick had first to rid the country of these “magicians”. This is symbolised by the banishing of the snakes forever from Ireland.
He now set about converting the people to Christianity. His deep faith and belief in the Blessed Trinity made this doctrine a centre piece of his instruction. To help explain the mystery he used the simple 3 leaf shamrock to illustrate 3 persons in one God.
St Patrick died in 461. By this time he had created an established structured church throughout the country. His converts were across the entire social classes from Princes to slaves and many of his priests and deacons were from the youth of Ireland. He is still to this day the most famous figure in Irish history and is one of the best known figures throughout the Christian world.
February 27th, 2008
Club Atlantic Hostel in County Mayo is a fine hostel with cheap and good quality accommodation facilities. This hostel is located on the coast near the Holy Mountain of Ireland, the Croagh Patrick. The hostel offers forty bedrooms for the budget conscious travellers. Dormitories accommodating 4, 6 or 8 people are available. Some of the rooms are en-suite. The hostel has a games room and small shop. Guest kitchen is available for the cooking needs of the residents. Children are welcomed here. Luggage storage facility and security lockers ensure peace of mind for the guests. The car parking here is free. Old Mill Holiday Hostel is another nice place to stay. This hostel offers an accommodation capacity of fifty two beds. This old stone building is located close to the bus station, pubs and restaurants and hence can serve as a nice base for some entertaining touring around County Mayo. Hot showers are free. Bicycle hire is available for those who would rather not walk.
March 7th, 2007
Cong Hostel is a nice place to stay in County Mayo without overshooting your budget. The hostel accommodation here consists of private and family rooms. Rooms have en-suite facility meaning no waiting in lines to use the bathrooms. A barbecue area is available to cook delicious grilled meat. Children are welcomed here and there’s even a playground to keep them busy and out of trouble. A mini cinema is present to entertain the guests with movies. A games room ensures that boredom does not become a fact of life for the guests while staying at this hostel. A kitchen and hot showers serve to make life easier for the guests here. Internet access is available to keep in touch with the rest of the world. Meals and camping facilities are available. Bikes can be hired for excursions to explore the beautiful sights and sounds of County Mayo.
February 2nd, 2007
Lettermaghera Loop is located near Clew Bay in County Mayo. This walking route includes the lower slopes of the Nephin Beg Mountains. It’s a fairly easy route and you will only have to climb a hundred metres on this walking path. The walk begins three kilometres from Newport which is a small town dating from the 18th century. This town is known for its delightfully beautiful viaduct made of red sandstone. The walk starts at the Derrad Community Centre. From here you follow a narrow lane towards north. After passing a few small lakes, you will arrive at Furnace Lough. This lake is famous for having Europe’s largest marine research facility. Going further, you will come across Salmon Leap Bridge where Furnace Lough and Lough Feeagh meet. Here you can enjoy the beautiful sight of different kinds of fishes swimming in the water. Going left from here, there is a bog road where you can treat yourself to some mesmerizing views of Clew Bay. Now the track will turn south. After passing a few lakes and an abandoned railway track, the sight of the Community Centre will signal the end of your relaxing walk through this beautiful area.
January 3rd, 2007
Clogher Village in County Mayo is a beautiful heritage site reminding everyone of Saint Patrick’s stay in this area around 400AD when he is said to have spent forty days to banish snakes from Ireland. He performed this miraculous feat from the height of Croagh Patrick which has become a popular tourist attraction in modern times. There are many exciting walks to be had around Clogher Village. One of these that in particular deserves mention is the Clogher Bog Loop Walk. This walk begins from the Clogher Bog Heritage Centre where you can witness life in the 17th century in the form of replicas. From the heritage centre, the route takes you through tracks in the bog. The locals here dry the peat and use it for fuel during the winter months so expect to see stacks of these lying about here. Plants in this area are few and far between, largely due to the hostile acidic environment of the bog. However, you can still find some hardy species of plants if you look carefully enough. On the way, you can catch spectacular views of the Party Mountains and the Croagh Patrick. You may also want to check out a supposed foot imprint of Saint Patrick himself at the back of old Drom Cemetry. After following the track a little more, the walk will end back at the heritage centre.
December 22nd, 2006
