Lough Derg's three
day blend of barefoot prayer, fasting, vigil and awakeness has been described
as the ironman of Christian Pilgrimages. In this first episode in my 'Mid-Life Crisis' series, I followed in
the footsteps of my Celtic ancestors in a quest for a deep emotional clean,
inner peace and spiritual healing.
I was attracted to
Lough Derg because it plays an important role in ancient Celtic mythology. In pre-Christian times the lake’s cave was
considered to be an access point from the known world to the Otherworld, which
later was interpreted by Christians as an entrance to purgatory. It is also a deeply sacred place where druids
came to learn their superpowers. Actually I’m pretty sure it was the
inspiration for George Lucas’ Dagobah where Yoda taught a certain Luke
Skywalker how to use the Jedi force. Make
this up I did…
Today the pilgrimage
is run by the Catholic Church and you must expect a huge amount of Catholic
prayer, ritual and ceremony into the bargain.
Day 1
At 29 years of age, I
am one of the youngest persons on this Island. Incidentally, I am almost
certainly the best looking person on this Island, but that is neither here nor
there. You'll have to tune into Love Island for the sex and six packs
unfortunately. This is more like Alcatraz without Capone or Shutter Island
without Ruffalo & DiCaprio. Well not
quite, stick with me.
We are permitted one
'meal' a day i.e. oatmeal biscuits, dry toast and black tea or coffee, which is
pretty much my staple diet in the week preceding payday, so that aspect is
doable for me. The toughest part of the
pilgrimage is actually staying awake for the 24 hour vigil, but in reality most
people are continuously awake for around 35+ hours because they need to travel
to the island on the first day and because the dormitories are only open for a
very limited period of time each day to allow pilgrims to freshen-up.
We complete three
stations before 9pm on the first day. In deep prayer we are expected to walk
the pilgrim path, circle the Basilica and sacred stones a number of times
before praying at the water’s edge and returning to the Basilica for more
prayer. Each station takes about one
hour to complete. I notice that I am the only pilgrim without
rosary beads, but I do recite my own prayers for family and friends, and I do
feel a genuine connection.
There is a moment
when I ask myself what Monty Python would make of a hundred Holy Joes (some of
whom have nets over their heads to fight off the midges) circling a collection
of stones in the grass for hours on end, but the moment passes and I realise I
trust my clever Celtic ancestors.
The stations are
followed by a 24 hour vigil which lasts from 10pm on the first day to 10pm on
the second. During the vigil we complete yet more stations and attend a number
of religious services through night and day.
As someone who does not subscribe to any one organised religious Church,
this aspect is difficult for me, but it is not a deal breaker.
In fact, I find my
fellow pilgrims here extraordinarily friendly and extremely non-judgemental. I
will make these three days about them.
They share stories easily about why they are here, whether it be love
for a sick relative, mental health issues or to give thanks to God for the
lives they have lived. A sense of common good is palpable. It is in the small hours that I meet a
gentleman called Val from County Meath.
Val urges me to
completely extinguish self-pity and guilt from my life and that this will set
me free. He implores me – whatever it is
that has brought me here, to deal with it here and leave here on the island
forever and don’t dare get back on the boat until I have dealt with my
shit. Val is one of the most compelling
people I’ve ever met in my life and I will never forget him.
Day 2
It can be hard to
stay awake at mass at the best of times, but the 24 hour vigil is a real
challenge. I feel disconnected from many
of the rituals such as the renewal of Baptismal Promises and the Way of the
Cross service, but at times I find certain things relatable. Father Matthews
Semba from Malawi delivers a heartfelt sermon on forgiveness and healing and I
listen, and I don’t usually listen at Church.
In the morning I confess my sins to the Lough Derg Prior which begins
with ‘Bless me Father, it has been 800 years since my last confession’. Later that day I avail of free professional
counselling service available on the Island – many, many pilgrims do, even if
this is not something they would ordinarily entertain at home. I am hungry
now. The Lough Derg ‘meal’ is served
around 1:30pm and I fantasise about breaking into the kitchen to look for some
cheese and Branson pickle, but then I realise I’m too weak to overpower the
staff and that I would require ammo and lots of it.
Day 3
By the final day I
have convinced myself I am so thin and so diminished that when I get home I will
need to be put on an emergency chocolate drip for the next three months. Together we complete our final station and then
we prepare to leave the Island. I am
grateful of this experience and for having met all the inspiring people around
me.
Arriving back on the
mainland I feel an overwhelming sense of relief that it’s over. I realise that the future of the Lough Derg
pilgrimage hangs in the balance as pilgrim numbers have consistently fallen
year on year since the 1980s. I think
about all the women and men I met over the past few days who have completed this
pilgrimage 20, 30 or 40 plus times, just like their parents did and their grandparents
and great grandparents did before them. I
pay homage to my ancestors and I think that Ireland is the most beautiful place
on earth. I dedicate this experience to
my late Grandmother Kathleen and Great Aunty and Godmother Betty who loved
Donegal and loved Ireland even more than I do and to all my ancestors wherever
they may be.
“Then
I thought of the tribe whose dances never fail / For they keep dancing till
they sight the deer.” Seamus Heaney, Station Island
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