The Irish standard., 1911-05-06
THE DRU|DS OF TARA
AND ER|N'S APOSTLE
Easter Was Celebrated in Ireland
for the First Time by St.
Patrick in 433.
The First Paschal Fire Was Lit on
Hill of Slane in Sight of
Tara of the Kings.
Though Many Attempts Have Been
Made to Extinguish it, the
Flame Burns Still.

years ago (April 2, 435) was the first
celebration Of Easter III Ireland. 1t
marked a momcntous episode in the
history Of the island and it's people
and their race. On the eve of that
day Patrick, the great Apostle, sent by
Pope Celestine topreach to the pagan
Irish, reached the neighborhood OF
Tara-royal Tara, which for centuries
had been the residence of the high
kings or chief monarcns Of Erin and
tion and learning, for there was learn
! ing in those early times among the
Irish when other nations were sunk in
ignorance and barbarlsn. Archbishop
Healy, in his recently published Life
OF the Saint, graphically describes
what took place al Royal Tara on that
memorable Easter eve.
Patrick, with his companions and as
sistants in his mission pitched his
| tent on the hill af Slane within sight
OF Tara, and prepared to bless the
Paschal Fire. Those VINO are acqllaint
ed with the ceremonies Of the Church
must know that by an ordinance dat
| ;,f i~ al tt,,
fire. from which the I'aschal Candle
was to be lighted was struck from Il
| flint and s0lemnly blessed not as at
present, in the morning, but in the
evening Of Holy Saturday. From this
new fire the Paschal Candle, typifying
the light of the Gospel shining over
the world, through the resurrection OF
| Christ from the dead, was lighted, and
then all the other lamps of the Church
were lit from the same sacred fame
and were kept burning during the
night to usher in at dawn the Light
Of the World.
Now st. Patrick CONTINUES Arch
bishop Healy) faithfully observed this
ceremony and when evening came he
blessed the new fire and lighted his
Paschal torch, which from the lofty
summit of the Hill OF Slane blaZcd
through the darkness over all the
plains of Mearll-a most appropriate
symbol of the Orient Light that was
,,JI tI,1 ,,,I
valleys of Erin.
Slanc is distinctly visible from Tara.
so that the light Of patrick's torch,
shining on that conspicuous summit,
was seen at once from the Royal Hill;
and the sight filled the bcholders with
mingled fear and CONSERVATION. For
on that very night King Lcaghairc was
holding religious festival at Tara in
honor of his own gods, with his Dr,lids
and mobiles, his Barls and his Brchons
(judges), all around him. Now, it was
a solemn ordinance, proclaimed in an
cient laws that no man should dare
to light q fire on that night before
the beacon fire on the Royal Hill was
kindlcd. Whoever transgressed this
edict was doomed to die. When holy
Patrick kindled his own fire on the
Hill of Slanc he knew nothing of the
royal ordinance, but even if he did, he
would have despised it,
Now the King, seeing the light on
the Hill of Slane, in great anger called
his officers and asked who had dared
to trangsgrcss the royal mandate.
/ They replied that they knew not.
: Thereupon the Druds, addressing the
King, said:
Sovereign King, except that fire
. which you see on yondcr hill. and
which has been kindled before the fire
I in this royal palace, be extinguished
this very night, it win never be cxtin'
guished in Erin; and morever it will
: outshine ii! the fires that we light
, And he wno has kindicd il will con.
t quer us all, and his Kingdom will
l overthrow you and lis and your king
dom, and he will seducc your subjects
l and rule over them all forever"
, The Druids of Tara were in that
: case true prophets. The Light that
t Patrick lighted on Slanc on that l;as
ter eve mere than fourteen centuries