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Lough Derg
Lough Derg (‘St Patrick's Purgatory’), Co. Donegal, a place of severe penitential pilgrimage where, reputedly, Patrick fasted to expel demons. Although there probably was an earlier cult, the legend originates with Henry of Saltrey's Tractatus de Purgatorio Sancti Patricii (1184). He told of the pilgrimage of a knight, Owein, to where Patrick fasted, and of a deep cave which was the gateway to hell. Soon this was a standard piece of information about Ireland, mentioned, for example, by Gerald of Wales. Prior to the 16th century, we have many accounts not only of Irish, but of European pilgrims; it is prominent on medieval maps; and copies of the Tractatus were widespread in Latin and translation. Pope Alexander VI forbade the pilgrimage (1497), but to little effect. Lough Derg was destroyed by the Cromwellians as a place of superstition, but was well established again by the mid‐18th century and grew in popularity during the 19th, in what has been seen as local manifestation of the devotional revolution. By this time the cave had been sealed, and the focus of the modern pilgrimage shifted to the church building. The pilgrimage, differing from the western model in its exclusive focus on penitence, continues today between June and August.
Thomas O'Loughlin |
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"Lough Derg." The Oxford Companion to Irish History. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Lough Derg." The Oxford Companion to Irish History. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O245-LoughDerg.html "Lough Derg." The Oxford Companion to Irish History. 2007. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O245-LoughDerg.html |
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Lough Derg
Lough Derg , in Ireland. 1 Expansion of the Shannon River, 23 mi (37 km) long and 1 to 5 mi (1.6–8 km) wide, W central Republic of Ireland. On the lake is the republic's first (1927) major hydroelectric power plant, with an 85,000-kW capacity. On Holy Island or Iniscaltra are ruins of churches and a round tower. 2 Lake, c.20 sq mi (50 sq km), Co. Donegal, NW Republic of Ireland. Station Island, traditional site of Saint Patrick's Purgatory, the popular name for the saint's vision of Purgatory, is a famous place of pilgrimage. Saints' Island has ruins of a monastery. |
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"Lough Derg." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Lough Derg." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Derg-Lou.html "Lough Derg." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Derg-Lou.html |
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Derg, Lough
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Cite this article
A. D. MILLS. "Derg, Lough." A Dictionary of British Place-Names. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. A. D. MILLS. "Derg, Lough." A Dictionary of British Place-Names. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O40-DergLough.html A. D. MILLS. "Derg, Lough." A Dictionary of British Place-Names. 2003. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O40-DergLough.html |
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