Celtic Spirituality 6 - St. Patrick's Chair

Baptizing a place

St. Patrick's chair and the rock of Boheh

There are many locations around Ireland that have been holy places for thousands of years. Standing stones, piles of rocks, groves of trees, and wells are the most common. Some were associated with the ancient gods, some with healing properties some with a natural sacred ambiance. It is interesting to note that places with a sacred ambiance often get baptized into the new faith when it arrives. It is a blending of old and new or a recognition that the presence of God was noticed before Christianity and continues to this day. In any case it is more than just recycling.

This spot has been known for 4000-6000 years.

This chunk of rock has a very special quality. When standing here, looking towards Croagh Patrick, twice a year, April and August, it appears the setting sun rolls down the slope of the mountain. In modern times this was noticed in 1991. One can guess it was also noticed in ancient times. The timing in April suggests it could have been an indicator to plant crops for a successful harvest. Any kind of natural feature that would help one notice the changing of the seasons, would be pretty special. The name Boheh, is just the name of the nearest village. The rock itself has a significant number of cups and rings carved into it. These can be found in many places in Ireland and are assumed to have had some ritual significance. When one first spots a ring, it is like looking back into time toward people who lived here thousands of years ago.

Prominent rings on the rock.

Of course Christianity showed up and found a way to incorporate the local mystery into the larger Christian Mystery. They baptized the place and carved a cross into it. Christian worship celebrations have happened here for at least 1400 years. There is every reason to believe that this rock was visited by St. Patrick himself at some point.

If you look closely, you can see the cross. (Click on the picture to see it larger.)

There are many footpaths and bike paths that travel around Ireland as pilgrimage routes. This rock is alongside a footpath that in medieval times was a popular pilgrimage route from Ballintubber Abbey to the top of Croagh Patrick. It is still used today, but much less than previously. The distance for such a walk is about 30km or almost 20 miles. Certainly not all of the path is this beautiful, but this little bit is sublime.

Pilgrim path by St. Patrick's Chair.