A visit to St. Patrick's Purgatory at Lough Derg, where pilgrims of all ages engage in ritual prayer and fasting.
Tommie Gorman recites an excerpt from the poem 'Lough Derg' by Patrick Kavanagh, which he wrote about a trip to Lough Derg.
Solicitors praying for cushy jobs
To be County Registrar or Coroner,
Shopkeepers threatened with sharper rivals
Than any hook-nosed foreigner.
Mothers whose daughters are Final Medicals,
Too heavy-hipped for thinking,
Wives whose husbands have angina pectoris,
Wives whose husbands have taken to drinking.
Gorman describes Kavanagh's rather caustic description of his fellow travellers.
While the number of foreign tourists to Donegal is in decline, pilgrims from all parts of the country continue to flock to Lough Derg.
On a windy boat crossing to the island, one woman says that when she goes home, she will be cleansed of all her worries. Another describes Lough Derg as a place of penance and a place of prayer. Another woman says it is her second trip to Lough Derg this year. Another woman says that she is praying for people's intentions and university exams.
A young priest describes it as an old Celtic tradition related to Saint Colm Cille. He says that people from Derry are very pious and have great faith. He also says that the troubles in Northern Ireland have made people want to get in touch with their roots and their spirituality.
Once landed on the island, known as "St. Patrick's Purgatory", the visitors, in bare feet, engage in a ritual of prayer and fasting, which dates back to the middle ages. They spend their first night without sleep. For the second and final night there is the offer a bed in the men's and women's hostel. The buildings are currently undergoing a 3.5 million pound reconstruction programme.
As Lough Derg is in the diocese of Clogher, it falls under the stewardship of Dr. Joseph Duffy, who says that there is something very authentic about Lough Derg that appeals to people of all generations.
Title: |
Lough Derg Pilgrimage |
Clip Duration: |
00:02:42 |
Material Type: |
Video |
Clip Title: |
St. Patrick's Purgatory |
Series Title: |
RTÉ News |
Information: |
A RTÉ News report on a pilgrimage to Lough Derg, Co. Donegal. This report was broadcast on 23 July 1986. |
Local Keywords: |
Tommy Gorman, Saint Patrick, Patrick Kavanagh, Lough Derg, Saint Colm Cille, |
Coverage: |
Ireland |
Topic: |
National Holidays, Festivals, Anniversaries, Annual Events |
Contributor(s): |
Tommy Gorman (Narrator) |
Publisher: |
RTÉ |
First Broadcast Channel: |
RTÉ One |
Broadcast Date: |
23/07/1986 |
Production Year: |
1986 |
Country of Production: |
Ireland |
Original Identifier: |
BN86/204 |
IPR Restrictions: |
Rights Reserved - Free Access |
Rights, Terms and Conditions: |
Copyright RTÉ. This material may not be replicated in any form or manner without the prior express permission of RTÉ. Any form of reproduction in print, television, video, multimedia, web site or other electronic media or any form of dissemination for commercial or non-commercial use must be licensed by the RTÉ Archives. If you wish to licence video or audio clips, still images or text, or would like further guidance please contact us. RTÉ Archives are committed to respecting the copyright of others and have attempted to source and credit the copyright owners of all material used here. RTÉ would like to hear from any copyright owners who are not properly identified here so that the necessary corrections can be made. If you feel your copyright has not been respected please contact us. |
Item Type: |
part/extract |
Colour: |
Colour |
Sound: |
Mono |
Aspect Ratio: |
4:3 |
Language: |
English (eng) |
Original Language: |
English (eng) |
