..towards Slemish. He had not proceeded far, when a Chieftain, named Dichu, appeared on the scene to prevent his further advance. He drew his sword to smite the saint, but his arm became as rigid as a statue and continued so until he declared himself obedient to St. Patrick. Overcome by the saint's meekness and miracles, Dichu asked for instruction and made a gift of a large ' sabhall ' ( barn ), in which the sacred mysteries were offered up. This was the first sanctuary dedicated by St. Patrick in Erin. It became in later years a chosen retreat of the saint. A monastery and church were erected there, and the hallowed site retains the name Sabhall ( pronounced Saul ) to
the present day. Continuing his journey towards Slemish, the saint was struck with horror on seeing at a distance the fort of his old master Milcho enveloped in flames. The fame of Patrick's marvelous power of miracles preceeded him. Milcho in a fit of frenzy, gathered his treasures into his mansion and setting it on fire, cast himself into the flames. An ancient record adds: " His pride could not endure the thought of being vanquished by his former slave.
the present day. Continuing his journey towards Slemish, the saint was struck with horror on seeing at a distance the fort of his old master Milcho enveloped in flames. The fame of Patrick's marvelous power of miracles preceeded him. Milcho in a fit of frenzy, gathered his treasures into his mansion and setting it on fire, cast himself into the flames. An ancient record adds: " His pride could not endure the thought of being vanquished by his former slave.
Irish History
And
The Fighting Irish
And
The Fighting Irish
( The Arrival of St. Patrick )
The Church at Saul, near Downpatrick, County Down, which now stands on the site of the ' old barn ' which Patrick first consecrated. It is a replica of the original church. The original building was destroyed in numerous Viking and Norman raids in the area.
Returning to Saul, St. Patrick learned from Dichu that the Chieftains of Erin had been summoned to celebrate the speacial feast at Tara by Leoghaire, who was the Ard-Righ, that is the Supreme Monarch of Ireland. This was an opportunity which Patrick would not forego: he would present himself before the assembly, to strike a decisive blow against the Druidism that held the nation captive, and to secure freedom for the glad tidings of Redemption of which he was the herald. As he journeyed on he rested for some days at the house of a Chieftain named Secsnen, who with his household joyfully embraced the Faith. The Benen, or Benignus, son of the Chief, was in a special way captivated by the Gospel doctrines and the meekness of Patrick. Whilst the saint slumbered he would gather sweet-scented flowers and scatter them over his bosom, and when Patrick was setting out, continuing his journey towards Tara, Benen clung to his feet declaring that nothing would sever him from him. " Allow him to have his way, " said St Patrick to the Chieftain, " He shall be heir to my sacred mission. " Thenceforth Benen was the inseparable companion of the saint, and the prophecy was fulfilled, for Brenen is named among the " comhards " or successors of St. Patrick in Armagh.
It
was on the 26th March, Easter Sunday, in 433, that the eventful assembly was to meet at Tara, and the
decree went forth that from the preceeding day the fires throughout the kingdom should be extinguished until the signal blaze was kindled at the Royal Mansion. The Chiefs and Brehons came in full numbers and the Druids too would muster all their strength to bid defiance to the herald of good tidings and to secure the hold of their superstition on the Celtic race, for their demoniac oracles had announced that the messenger of Christ had come to Erin. St Patrick arrived at the Hill of Slane, at the opposite extremity of the valley from Tara, on Easter Eve, in that year the feast of the Annunciation, and on the summit of the hill kindled the Paschal fire. The Druids at once raised their voices " O King " they said " live for ever , this fire, which has been lighted in defiance of the royal edict, will blaze for ever in this land unless it be this very night extinguished. " By order of the King and the agency of the druids, repeated attempts were made to extinguish the blessed fire and to punish with death the intruder who had disobeyed the royal command. But the fire was not extinguished and Patrick shielded by the Divine Power came unscathed from their snares and assaults. On Easter Day, the missionary band having at their head the youth Benignus bearing aloft a copy of the Gospels, and followed by St. Patrick, who with mitre and crozier was arrayed in full episcopal attire, proceeded in processional order to Tara. The druids and magicians put forth all their strength and employed all their incantations to maintain their sway over the Irish race, but the prayer and faith of St. Patrick achieved a glorious triumph. The druids by their incantations overspread the hill and surrounding plain with a cloud of worse than Egyptian darkness. Patrick defied them to remove the cloud and when all their efforts were made in vain, at his prayer the sun sent forth its rays and the brightest sunshine lit up the scene. Again a demoniac power the Arch-Druid Lochru, like Simon Magus of old, was lifted up high in the air, but when Patrick knelt in prayer the druid from his flight was dashed to pieces upon a rock.
Thus was the final blow given to paganism in the presence of all the assembled Chieftains. It was indeed a momentous day for the Irish race. Twice Patrick pleaded for the Faith before Leoghaire. The King had given orders that no sign of respect was to be extended to the strangers, but at the first meeting the youthful Ere, a royal page, arose to show him reverence; and at the second, when all the Chieftains were assembled, the chief-bard Dubhtach showed the same honour to the saint. Both these heroic men became fervent disciples of the Faith and bright ornaments of the Irish Church. It was on this second solemn occasion that St. Patrick is said to have plucked a shamrock from the sward, to explain by its triple leaf and single stem, in some rough way, to the assembled Chieftains, the great doctrine of the Blessed Trinity. On that bright Easter Day, the triumph of religion at Tara was complete. The Ard-Righ granted permission to Patrick to preach the Faith throughout the length and breadth of Erin, and the druidical prophecy like the words of Balaam of old would be fullfilled: the sacred fire now kindled by the saint would never be extinguished.
St Patrick remained during Easter week at Slane and Tara, unfolding to those around him the lessons of the Divine truth. Meanwhile the national games were being celebrated a few miles distant at Tailten ( now Telltown ) in connection with the royal feast. St. Patrick proceeding their solemnly administered baptism to Conall, brother of the Ard-Righ Leoghaire, on Wednesday, 5th April. Benen and others had already been privately gathered into the fold of Christ, but this was the first public administering of baptism, recognised by royal edict, and hence in the ancient Irish Calendars to the fifth of April is assigned " The begining of the Baptism of Erin. " This first Christian Royal Chieftain made a gift to Patrick of a site for a church which to the present day retains the name Donagh-Patrick. The blessing of heaven was with Conall's family. St. Columba is reckoned among his descendants, and many of the Kings of Ireland until the eleventh century were of his race. St Patrick left some of his companions to carry on the work of the evangelization in Meath. He would himself visit the other territories. Some of the Chieftains who had come to Tara were from Fucluth, in the neighbourhood of Killala, in Connaught, and as it was the children of Focluth who in vision had summoned him to return to Ireland, he resolved to accompany those Chieftains on their return, that thus the district of Focluth would be among the first to receive the glad tidings of Redemption. It affords a convincing proof of the difficulties that St. Patrick had to overcome, though that full liberty to preach the Faith throughout Erin was granted by the monarch Leoghaire, nevertheless, in order to procure a safe conduct through the intervening territories whilst proceeding towards Connaught he had to pay the price of fifteen slaves. On his way passing through Granard he learned at Magh-Slecht, not far distant, a vast concourse was engaged in offering worship o the chief idol Crom-Cuach. It was a huge pillar of stone covered with slabs of gold and silver, with a circle of twelve minor idols around it. With his crosier Patrick caused the chief idol to crumble to dust. The others fell to the ground. At Killala, he found the whole people of the territory assembled. At his preaching, the King and his six sons, with 12,000 of the people, became docile to the Faith. Patrick spent seven years visiting every district of Connaught, organising parishes, forming dioceses, and instructing the Chieftains and people.
On the occasion of his first visit to Rathcrogan, the Royal seat of the Kings of Connaught, situated near Tulsk, in the County of Roscommon, a remarkable incident occured, recorded in many of the authentic narratives of the saint's life. Close by the clear fountain of Clebach, not far from the Royal abode, Patrick and his venerable companions had pitched their tents and at early dawn were chanting the praises of the Most High, when two daughters of the Irish Monarch - Ethne, the fair and Fedelm, the ruddy came forward as was their want to bathe.
Thus was the final blow given to paganism in the presence of all the assembled Chieftains. It was indeed a momentous day for the Irish race. Twice Patrick pleaded for the Faith before Leoghaire. The King had given orders that no sign of respect was to be extended to the strangers, but at the first meeting the youthful Ere, a royal page, arose to show him reverence; and at the second, when all the Chieftains were assembled, the chief-bard Dubhtach showed the same honour to the saint. Both these heroic men became fervent disciples of the Faith and bright ornaments of the Irish Church. It was on this second solemn occasion that St. Patrick is said to have plucked a shamrock from the sward, to explain by its triple leaf and single stem, in some rough way, to the assembled Chieftains, the great doctrine of the Blessed Trinity. On that bright Easter Day, the triumph of religion at Tara was complete. The Ard-Righ granted permission to Patrick to preach the Faith throughout the length and breadth of Erin, and the druidical prophecy like the words of Balaam of old would be fullfilled: the sacred fire now kindled by the saint would never be extinguished.
St Patrick remained during Easter week at Slane and Tara, unfolding to those around him the lessons of the Divine truth. Meanwhile the national games were being celebrated a few miles distant at Tailten ( now Telltown ) in connection with the royal feast. St. Patrick proceeding their solemnly administered baptism to Conall, brother of the Ard-Righ Leoghaire, on Wednesday, 5th April. Benen and others had already been privately gathered into the fold of Christ, but this was the first public administering of baptism, recognised by royal edict, and hence in the ancient Irish Calendars to the fifth of April is assigned " The begining of the Baptism of Erin. " This first Christian Royal Chieftain made a gift to Patrick of a site for a church which to the present day retains the name Donagh-Patrick. The blessing of heaven was with Conall's family. St. Columba is reckoned among his descendants, and many of the Kings of Ireland until the eleventh century were of his race. St Patrick left some of his companions to carry on the work of the evangelization in Meath. He would himself visit the other territories. Some of the Chieftains who had come to Tara were from Fucluth, in the neighbourhood of Killala, in Connaught, and as it was the children of Focluth who in vision had summoned him to return to Ireland, he resolved to accompany those Chieftains on their return, that thus the district of Focluth would be among the first to receive the glad tidings of Redemption. It affords a convincing proof of the difficulties that St. Patrick had to overcome, though that full liberty to preach the Faith throughout Erin was granted by the monarch Leoghaire, nevertheless, in order to procure a safe conduct through the intervening territories whilst proceeding towards Connaught he had to pay the price of fifteen slaves. On his way passing through Granard he learned at Magh-Slecht, not far distant, a vast concourse was engaged in offering worship o the chief idol Crom-Cuach. It was a huge pillar of stone covered with slabs of gold and silver, with a circle of twelve minor idols around it. With his crosier Patrick caused the chief idol to crumble to dust. The others fell to the ground. At Killala, he found the whole people of the territory assembled. At his preaching, the King and his six sons, with 12,000 of the people, became docile to the Faith. Patrick spent seven years visiting every district of Connaught, organising parishes, forming dioceses, and instructing the Chieftains and people.
On the occasion of his first visit to Rathcrogan, the Royal seat of the Kings of Connaught, situated near Tulsk, in the County of Roscommon, a remarkable incident occured, recorded in many of the authentic narratives of the saint's life. Close by the clear fountain of Clebach, not far from the Royal abode, Patrick and his venerable companions had pitched their tents and at early dawn were chanting the praises of the Most High, when two daughters of the Irish Monarch - Ethne, the fair and Fedelm, the ruddy came forward as was their want to bathe.
