(pron. LAWHK DARG) County Dhún na nGall, Ireland. This Donegal island contains a shrine to Saint Patrick. It was the last stronghold of the Druids in Ireland and St. Patrick ended the fight there. Legend says he killed the lake monster and its blood dyed the water red. A pilgrimage site shown on Medieval maps as St Patrick’s Purgatory. It attracted 1500 visitors a day with some going insane (representative of divine power) & some allegedly disappearing altogether. The sacred cave was closed by papal decree in 1497 & moved to nearby Station Island which had its own cave. The sacred cave was destroyed by the Dublin Commission in the 17th century and ceremonies made illegal. Now that cermonies are legal again, many people go there on three day pilgrimages to pray from the first of June to the 15th of August. Lough Derg is said to be a cure for the seven deadly sins. (3, 5) Today, its ...existence only comes about in the summer, when the monastery opens to receive its annual visitors. If you do not know it exists, you will have a hard to time locating it on a map, and there is no chance that anyone chances across the location by accident while driving through Ireland; the nearest main road is miles away from the road towards the pier to the island in Lough Derg, in the general area of Donegal. (10)
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