School: An Ráth Mhór (Clochar) (roll number 13742)

On this page

1. Description of Cathair Crobh Dearg (continued)

   

   Share Share Post

   (continued from previous page)

   This takes us back to the fifth century A.D. St. Patrick coming in 432 A.D. It is generally held that the Celts did very little to disturb the religious life of the country and took over most of the Pre-Celtic shrines and feasts. If this be so it takes the City Festival back not merely to the fifth century A.D but to the fourth century B.C. when the Celts arrived. That the City Festival is at least 2300 years old is particularly certain and few competent to give an opinion on the matter would venture to question this.

   On a prior grounds we believe that the City Festival is possibly three times as old as even this staggering figure. Archeologist's tell us that Ireland was inhabited by man at least 6000 B.C. A thousand years is ample time to allow our colonists to penetrate to Munster. Once they arrived in Munster we believe their religious insticts led them to come straight to the Dhá Chich Danann. The Goddess of Fecundity was the deity most homoured amongst practically all pagan peoples (certainly by our own pagan ancestors). The extraordinary shape of the twin peaks back of the City was bound to suggest to the veriest an ideal spot to erect a shrine to Dana the Mother of the Gods. On this account we believe that it is quite possible that the City Shrine goes back to 5000 B.C. and that the City Festival on May day may have been celebrated without a break for nearly 70 centuries.

   For 13 centuries long after the active opposition on the part of Christianity has ceased there has been a subtle opposition to the May Day festival. Thirsty years ago Canon Walsh denounced it from the altar because of abuses as regards drink. More recently still an overzealous curate condemned it as it kept children away from school! (There should certainly be no school in Ráth Mhór Parish that day. Would

   (continues on next page)

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Location

   Gort na gCeann, Co. Chiarraí

   Informant

   Eugene O' Curry

   Gender

   Male