SAINT PATRICK

St Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland.  He brought Christianity to our country and has shaped our culture.  Lough Patrick is just one of the many sites throughout Ireland said to have associations with the great saint. The local church in Sixtowns bears his name.

 

FORMATION OF THE LOUGH

Lough Patrick is a small lough of approximately 1½ acres in Owenreagh, Sixtowns near Draperstown in the parish of Ballinascreen.  This lough is said to have gushed forth when St Patrick pulled a rush to allow his thirsty followers to drink during a prayer station.  It can be clearly viewed from the top of Slieve Gallion, glistening in the sun like a jewel in the bog. Locals say that it is heralded that nothing will ever drown in the lough.

 

ST. COLUM KILLE

St Colum Kille is the patron saint of Ballinascreen and namesake of the parish church in Straw.  He is documented to have spent many hours praying here and ordered a station to be held annually on mid-summers eve and for some days subsequent.

 

THE STATIONS

The stations were performed for promoting religion and for the cure of various ailments.  These stations were well attended not only by locals but by people from across Ireland and Britain

The station would have consisted of going three times round the lough whilst praying, and going nine times round a tummock on their knees.  The station concluded with persons seeking cures being dipped in the lough then leaving at the tummock, a remnant of their clothing, a lock of hair, or some pins along with their ailment. 

The stations were performed barefoot and were said to be a most relaxing and enjoyable experience, that is, once you overcome the fear of disappearing from sight in the bog.  It was said to be good for the soles if not the sole

Many people have kept up an annual pilgrimage.

 

LANDSCAPE

Lough Patrick lies in an area of about 69 acres, ‘common’ to 5 local farmers. It is accessed by a gravel laneway just over half a mile long.  It is a designated ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’ which is clearly evident.

There is a sandpit not far from the lough, but because excavations are naturally below the surface of the ground this does not detract from the general landscape.  The view is rugged, natural and unspoilt with no prominent disruptive visual detractors.  

The lough appears similar to what it would have done to our forefathers. No drainage has been implemented over the years leaving a bogland rich in biodiversity where rare plants and flowers grow wild.

 

OTHER MONUMENTS

The area around Lough Patrick is steeped in history and archaeology and there are a number of stone age/bronze age sites in the vicinity, including druid circles and tombs. These are well known locally and appear on maps of the area.   Because this area was once quite heavily populated it is believed that many more sites and artefacts lie buried not far below the surface.

 

ANCIENT CREMATION SITE

A 4000 year old cremation site was uncovered in 2008 in a sandpit very close to Lough Patrick.   This is a very significant find and a preliminary report from the archaeologist states that it was a ‘unique type of burial monument’.  This would suggest that no sites like this have been uncovered anywhere in Ireland.

The site contained the charred bones of at least two people, a male and a female as well as the bones of various animals thought to have been used in sacrifice.

There was a similar monument unearthed last May by a very excited Channel 4 ‘Time Team’ near Stonehenge.  Their experts were making projections about the previously unknown people who built it and the connections it had with the surrounding water and landscape.   This would indicate that much has yet to be learned about this find at Lough Patrick and how it fits into the bigger picture. 

  

WILDLIFE

A recent survey of wildlife was carried out at Lough Patrick.  It has identified at least 67 different species of bird including 27 Species of Conservation Concern, 4 of those ‘Red Listed’ and 23 ‘Amber Listed’.  Wild hare still run the heather here and newts and frogs take cover in the mossy swamps.  An abundance of flowering heather and a rich hedgerow supports rare species of bats and insects.