20 Sf. Patrick and the Valley of the Boyne. 



thought it worth while to come and spend his holidays in that 

 most beautiful valley. He lost patience here with the Irish 

 people, for thousands amongst them went every year to visit 

 England, and hundreds of Belfast people were to be found every 

 year at Harrogate enjoying its springs. And yet those very 

 people had not seen the mountains around Lough Derg, and 

 in the centre of Ireland, which was about two hours' run from 

 this city, the scene of the wanderings of St. Patrick in the 

 valley of the Boyne. But they were not the offenders. The 

 offenders were the directors of the Irish railways. He hoped 

 if there was one present that evening that he would search his 

 own heart and examine his own conscience, and confess in the 

 most primitive Christian manner before this congregation. 

 Irish traditions stated that St. Patrick was a gentleman and that 

 he came of decent people. About the years 431 or 43 2 St. Patrick 

 sailed from France to Ireland. He first landed at the point of 

 Wicklow where there was a great strand, called the Murrow. 

 Wicklow was greatly resorted to at the present day by riders of 

 horses and for the manoeuvres of the Dublin and Wicklow 

 Militia Artillery. The Irish people did not receive St. Patrick 

 very cordially when he landed. They saluted him with volleys 

 of stones, one of which struck one of his companions. He 

 laboured there and founded a church, and then wandered along 

 the East coast of Ireland for a few months. Then about the 

 spring of the year 431 or the year 432 he landed at the River 

 Boyne, and proceeded to survey the shores and to examine its 

 beauties. He might inform them that the Boyne sprang from 

 a well dedicated to the Holy Trinity, about which there was a 

 curious legend, namely, that if anyone went near that well 

 except the King he or she should lose their sight. However, a 

 body of men called the Irish Ecclesiastical Committee were 

 formed in Ireland, and he might say that they were even worse 

 than the Danes. They destroyed everything, even sanctuaries, 

 but they vanished off the face of the earth. St. Patrick sailed as 

 far up the Boyne as he could, when he was stopped by the rapids 

 which were on the river in every direction. He travelled in a 



