From Tourmakeady to Carn: Happy memories to cherish

STANDÚN'S STATION - Fr. Pádraig Standún

THE 16th of July has been a significant date in the calendar for me for many years now. It is not a big date on most people’s radar, but for most people in south Connemara it is a sacred day, a patron’s or pattern day, the Feast of St. Mac Dara.

I have neither the stamina nor the legs to be part of the pilgrimage to the island this year, but my heart and soul will be with those on board currachs, sailboats or fishing boats heading out from Mace pier to St. Mac Dara’s island off the coast of Carna.

The ‘Mace’ in question is not a supermarket, but a placename some people will be familiar with from weather forecasts. There is a weather station on nearby Mace Head facing into the southwest prevailing wind as it comes ashore at the bottom corner of the Galway/Mayo extension into the Atlantic ocean.

St. Mac Dara is revered in this part of the world. His little church was beautifully restored in the 1970s and the tradition of having Mass and a pilgrimage there on his feast day goes back much further.

Fisherfolk and sailors have a special regard for St. Mac Dara. Sailboats have the tradition of honouring him by dipping a sail.

This year’s pattern or patron day will acknowledge grief for those lost at sea as well as praying for the safety of all who put to sea, but like all such days there will be the fun element too.

There is a certain excitement, especially for children, in heading out to an offshore island for a special occasion. Some will bring picnics to have after the ceremonies. People will mingle, greet old friends or wander around the island for a couple of hours.

There will be a regatta too. The great sails of hooker and gleoteóg will be seen throughout the bay as boats from all over Conamara and beyond will race each other. The boats themselves have in a sense been resurrected, as many were made redundant in the 1970s when the turf trade across Galway Bay to the Aran Islands and Ballyvaughan came to an end. Many vessels have been restored, others built from scratch, so it is now possible to see as many as 30 traditional sails in one outing.

St. Mac Dara’s Day will have a special meaning for me as it marks the 14th anniversary of my move from Tourmakeady to Carna. I have a deep affection for the people in all the parishes in which I have worked since my ordination in 1971. Like many other priests, I have never been one for going back to previous parishes as it can cramp the style of a person’s successor. I am tempted to go back for funerals when I hear a death notice on the radio, but it would mean treating people differently.

As a well-known advertisement has it: “When you’re gone, you’re gone.” But not without many happy memories to cherish for the rest of a person’s life.