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| Ardmore |
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| Ardmore
today |
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Árd
Mór: Great Height. It was to this part of the Waterford
coast that St Declan was miraculously guided, on a return
voyage from Wales some time during the 5th century. Today,
a number of sites remain from his monastic city, pointing
to a devotion that stood the test of time. |
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Several monuments pertaining to Declan
are to be found at Ardmore, within and without the medieval
monastic city. Also, there are buildings from after
his time, from the monastery, which grew up in his memory.
So what is the story of this place?
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| The
legend goes as follows: St Declan returned form Rome via
Britain, and left behind him in Wales his bell. He was
sea borne when he realized this, and was much grieved
by his absent-mindedness - the bell had been gifted to
him from Heaven as he celebrated Mass, and was therefore
very precious. Declan's prayers for the bell's safe return
were answered, when a boulder carrying the bell came sailing
over the water to his boat! From there, it sailed before
the craft, navigating the way across the channel. |
| Declan
vowed before his crew to establish his city and bishopric
wherever the bell led him, and so it came to be that he
came ashore on an island by the west Waterford coast.
A member of his party ascended the hill, and queried the
wisdom of setting up on what he called 'this little height'.
Declan is said to have replied: "Do not call it little
hill, but Great Height."
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The
land was granted by the king of the Déisí,
and was named 'Ardmore Declan'. Following Declan's prayers,
the generosity of the king was echoed and enhanced by
God, when the sea retreated from between the island
and the mainland, leaving a more substantial swathe
of land to the nascent community. After this, "many
persons came to Declan, drawn from the uttermost parts
of Ireland, by the fame of his holy living". Thus
the monastery grew.
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The 'travelling boulder', which bore
the bell and guided Declan to Ardmore, is known today
as 'St Declan's Stone', and lies on a rocky ledge of
beach beneath the village of Ardmore. It is of a different
geology to the rocks around it, and wonderful virtues
are attributed to it. O the feast day of St Declan,
24 July, devotees crawl between the stone and the underlying
rocks to invoke the healing powers of the monument.
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Another
popular site for pilgrims is 'St Declan's Well', a shallow
basin where people bathe their hands and feet.
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| It's
set beside the remains of a twelfth century church on
the cliff, and has been embellished over the years with
a carved crucifix and medieval characters on the masonry
above it. The area of the church and well is popularly
held to have been the site of Declan's hermitage, and
is referred to by some as 'Díseart Decláin'. |
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The primary monument to Declan within
the bounds of the later monastery is a primitive 6th
century church known as 'The Oratory' or 'Declan's House'.
Although somewhat later than his time, this building
enjoys an intimate association with Declan, as it is
supposed to be his place of burial. Bishop Mills furnished
it with a slate roof in 1716.
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As
we move further beyond Declan's time, we find monuments,
which testify to the strength of the tradition he inspired.
Principal among these is the round tower, which stands
at 100 feet high. It's in an excellent state of preservation,
and its conical stone cap is fully intact.
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This
is all the more remarkable, considering that it withstood
a regular siege in 1642, when ordnance was brought to
bear on it. The tower was stoutly defended by forty
confederates against the English, under Lords Dungarvan
and Broghil.
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A few yards to the north of this tower
stand the cathedral, which dates from the 10th century.
It contains features from almost every phase of ecclesiastical
architecture, which flourished in Ireland, and its chancel
arch is regarded as one of the most beautiful examples
of the Transitional period in the country. The whole
external face of the west gable is filled with celtic
panels depicting scenes from scripture.
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The
tower and the cathedral are signs of major expansion,
and indicate the extent of the wealth and prestige, which
Ardmore enjoyed in the centuries after Declan's death.
The Ardmore Pattern had a great following traditionally,
and 14,000 people were reckoned to have attended in 1847 |
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route from Ardmore to Cashel is among those medieval pilgrim
trails to receive restoration as part of the Millennium
project - valuable work on a priceless part of out heritage.
Ardmore has been described by some as one of the most
fascinating ecclesiastical sites in Ireland. |
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