brogieman
05-10-2007, 09:47 AM
Really don't know where this should go, maybe in the humour section.
I was told recently about the real story behind this shrine in Ireland firstly here is the official story from wikipedia
On the evening of 21 August 1879, fifteen people whose ages ranged from five years to seventy-five and included men, women, teenagers and children, witnessed what they claimed was an apparition of Our Lady, her husband St Joseph, and St John the Evangelist at the south gable end of the local small parish church, the Church of St John the Baptist. Behind them and a little to the left of St John was a plain altar. On the altar was a cross and a lamb (a traditional image of Jesus, as reflected in the religious phrase The Lamb of God) with adoring angels.
The Blessed Virgin Mary was described as being life-size, standing about two feet above the ground. She wore a white cloak, hanging in full folds and somewhat loosely around the shoulder, and fastened at the neck. She wore a crown, and over the forehead and where the crown fitted the brow, a beautiful rose. The crown appeared brilliant, and of a golden brightness, of a deeper hue, inclined to a mellow yellow, than the striking whiteness of the robe she wore; the upper parts of the crown appeared to be a series of sparkles, or glittering crosses. Patrick Hill, who crossed into the church-yard saw the eye-balls with iris and pupils in each. She was described as "deep in prayer", with her eyes raised to heaven, her hands raised to the shoulders or a little higher, the palms inclined slightly to ths shoulders. Bridget Trench "went in immediately to kiss, as I thought, the feet of the Blessed Virgin; but I felt nothing in the embrace but the wall, and I wondered why I could not feel with my hands the figures which I had so plainly and so distinctly seen".
St Joseph, also wearing white robes, stood on the Virgin's right hand. His head was bent forward from the shoulders towards the Blessed Virgin in respect. He appeared somewhat aged with grey whiskers and greyish hair.
St John the Evangelist stood to the left of the Blessed Virgin. He was dressed in a long robe and wore a mitre. He was partly turned away from the other figures. He appeared to be preaching and he held open a large book in his left hand. His right hand was raised with the index and middle fingers straight and the ring and little fingers bent double, with the thumb placed against the joints of them next the tips.
To the left of St John was an altar with a lamb on it with a cross standing on the altar behind the lamb. Around the altar angels hovered the whole time, their wings fluttered.
Those who witnessed the apparition stood in the pouring rain for up to two hours reciting the Rosary, a traditional Catholic prayer. When the apparition began there was good light, but although it then became very dark, witnesses could still see the figures very clearly - they appeared to be the colour of a bright whitish light. The apparition did not flicker or move in any way. The witnesses reported that the ground around the figures remained completely dry during the apparition although the wind was blowing from the south. Afterwards, however the ground at the gable became wet and the gable dark.
Here it goes.
Emmigration from Ireland reached a peak during the year 1845 or black 45, which was the worst year of the famine. Most of the emmigration went to North america and England. Families that made their money in America returned to thier birthplaces in Ireland to visit relations and to show their sons and daughters their parents birthplaces, with them they brought various paraphenaelia (sp) from the new world , including projectors.
So what we have is a couple of young lads playing a prank on the technologically backward Irish of the time.
I was told recently about the real story behind this shrine in Ireland firstly here is the official story from wikipedia
On the evening of 21 August 1879, fifteen people whose ages ranged from five years to seventy-five and included men, women, teenagers and children, witnessed what they claimed was an apparition of Our Lady, her husband St Joseph, and St John the Evangelist at the south gable end of the local small parish church, the Church of St John the Baptist. Behind them and a little to the left of St John was a plain altar. On the altar was a cross and a lamb (a traditional image of Jesus, as reflected in the religious phrase The Lamb of God) with adoring angels.
The Blessed Virgin Mary was described as being life-size, standing about two feet above the ground. She wore a white cloak, hanging in full folds and somewhat loosely around the shoulder, and fastened at the neck. She wore a crown, and over the forehead and where the crown fitted the brow, a beautiful rose. The crown appeared brilliant, and of a golden brightness, of a deeper hue, inclined to a mellow yellow, than the striking whiteness of the robe she wore; the upper parts of the crown appeared to be a series of sparkles, or glittering crosses. Patrick Hill, who crossed into the church-yard saw the eye-balls with iris and pupils in each. She was described as "deep in prayer", with her eyes raised to heaven, her hands raised to the shoulders or a little higher, the palms inclined slightly to ths shoulders. Bridget Trench "went in immediately to kiss, as I thought, the feet of the Blessed Virgin; but I felt nothing in the embrace but the wall, and I wondered why I could not feel with my hands the figures which I had so plainly and so distinctly seen".
St Joseph, also wearing white robes, stood on the Virgin's right hand. His head was bent forward from the shoulders towards the Blessed Virgin in respect. He appeared somewhat aged with grey whiskers and greyish hair.
St John the Evangelist stood to the left of the Blessed Virgin. He was dressed in a long robe and wore a mitre. He was partly turned away from the other figures. He appeared to be preaching and he held open a large book in his left hand. His right hand was raised with the index and middle fingers straight and the ring and little fingers bent double, with the thumb placed against the joints of them next the tips.
To the left of St John was an altar with a lamb on it with a cross standing on the altar behind the lamb. Around the altar angels hovered the whole time, their wings fluttered.
Those who witnessed the apparition stood in the pouring rain for up to two hours reciting the Rosary, a traditional Catholic prayer. When the apparition began there was good light, but although it then became very dark, witnesses could still see the figures very clearly - they appeared to be the colour of a bright whitish light. The apparition did not flicker or move in any way. The witnesses reported that the ground around the figures remained completely dry during the apparition although the wind was blowing from the south. Afterwards, however the ground at the gable became wet and the gable dark.
Here it goes.
Emmigration from Ireland reached a peak during the year 1845 or black 45, which was the worst year of the famine. Most of the emmigration went to North america and England. Families that made their money in America returned to thier birthplaces in Ireland to visit relations and to show their sons and daughters their parents birthplaces, with them they brought various paraphenaelia (sp) from the new world , including projectors.
So what we have is a couple of young lads playing a prank on the technologically backward Irish of the time.