BY JOHN FITZGERALD
Before I come to the great Pattern of Coolagh in County Kilkenny, here’s a brief history of Patterns I’ve put together. To understand the appeal of a lovely old tradition that has almost vanished from our modern world, it helps to be aware of the historical background to this peculiarly Irish day-out for the family.
Patterns have a chequered history. They pre-date Christianity, having their origins in Pagan festivals dedicated to gods of the Harvest. After St. Patrick allegedly banished the snakes from Ireland in the 6th century, he began to take a serious look at the customs that had made the Old Religion of the Irish so popular.
Having visited harvest festivals around the country and sipped a fair few goblets of wine with the chieftains and merrymakers, he allegedly ordered the new Christian clergy, who were getting used to their jobs in the priesthood, to do everything in their power to turn the fun and games around the campfires into something a bit holier and more prayerful, with less drunkenness, fewer eating binges, and, he emphasized, an end to “all this courting in the ditches, carousing in the dark, and singing songs that get the blood up.”
The Chieftains reluctantly agreed to change the format of their festivities, saying, in effect: “Okay Paddy, you win, we’ll say our prayers around the Holy wells instead, we’ll cut down on the booze and all the other joys of living-if that makes you happy- (you so-and-so) and sure if you want to re-name our auld get-togethers, that’s fine, though we’d prefer to have kept our auld ways, thank you very much.”
“I’m glad we understand each other”, said Patrick, shaking the hand of a particularly big and powerful Chief somewhere in the midlands. For almost a thousand years after this, people gathered at wells associated with saintly feast-days to pray. They circled the wells, chanting with heads bowed and hands joined in pious contemplation of the great Gospel Mysteries. But eventually, the old Irish ways began to make a comeback.
Men said to themselves: “Sure twill do no harm to take a few bottles of wine or ale along to the well and when we need a break from the prayers, we can have a drop.” Those favouring this relaxing of the “No-Alcohol at the Pattern” rule cited the turning of water into wine by God himself at a wedding party, and they won the argument.
The holy visitors to the wells were joined by throngs of less religiously inclined folk who sang, danced, and made merry for hours on end. Children were conceived at these early Patterns and the revelers consumed every known form of home brew.
The fun continued unabated until some spoilsport complained about “the poor standard of religious observance at Irish Patterns, where we can’t say our prayers with all the shouting and swearing at the wells.” In 1626, the Pope threatened to issue a Papal Bull denouncing the Patterns “if the reprobate elements were not reined in as a matter of urgency.”
The priests pleaded with their flocks to desist from unseemly behaviour at the Holy Wells, but their fervent ministrations and admonitions were ignored. Heedless even of the very real prospect of a Papal Bull coming their way, the Irish defied Rome and continued to enjoy what in later years would come to be known as “The Craic.”
Loathe to get on the wrong side of their parishioners, the Irish clergy were content at first to advise from the pulpit about the “dangers to the soul” of overindulging in drink or “passions of the flesh” in the vicinity of holy wells. But by the mid 18th century many patterns had been cancelled owing to official censure from Rome, backed by local parish priests, many of who had to emerge from hiding (the English had put a price on their heads) to condemn the Patterns.
In 1761, the Bishop of Ossory, Dr. Burke, warned the people of his Diocese that they risked ending up in “The Devil’s back garden” unless they ceased their “desperate carry-on at the blessed wells.” His Lordship lamented the fact that Patterns had changed from being religious events that gladdened “every saint in Heaven” to becoming occasions of grave sin.
“There was a time, and not so long ago”, he thundered, “When the brethren sought, and received, cures for headaches and sore eyes by drinking the water of a holy well on Pattern day. Now we have all manner of rascals swigging liqueur at the Pattern that gives them headaches and sore eyes!”
The congregation reacted coolly to his words, though it didn’t have much time to reflect on his well-crafted sermon as a lookout shouted that the Redcoats were approaching. The Bishop-fearing that the price on his head might tempt a greedy worshipper- sprang like lightning from behind his stone pulpit in the Kilkenny countryside, mounted his stallion, and headed for the hills of Tipperary.
But the priests of the Diocese passed on his advice. They redoubled their efforts to clamp down on patterns. In between dodging the Redcoats, and finding ever more ingenious hiding places, they mounted a ferocious attack on the ancient custom.
Patterns almost died out completely as a result, though a few survived, including the one at Coolagh that we’ll come to next week…
The 19th century Gaelic Diarist, Humphrey O’ Sullivan, attended a Pattern at St. James’s well, near Callan and not far from Coolagh. He made straight for the whiskey tent, where he savoured a drop or two of the Rare Old Mountain Dew.
In his diary entry for September 14th, 1828, he describes the revelry and carnival atmosphere: “…There were gooseberries and currants and cherries for the children, ginger-bread for grown girls, strong beer and maddening whiskey for wranglers and busybodies; open door-ed booths filled with lovers, bag-pipes and fiddlers making music for young folks and pious pilgrims making their stations around the well…”
(To be continued)
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