Book links Croagh Patrick to cosmology

New book links Croagh Patrick to ancient cosmological alignment

Anton McNulty

AN AUTHOR exploring ancient astrology in Ireland believes that Croagh Patrick forms part of a massive ancient cosmological alignment stretching 135 miles from east to west across Ireland, linking some of the most sacred sites associated with St Patrick.
The new theory claims that the alignment links the Hill of Slane in the east to Croagh Patrick in the west and passes through some other significant places on its way – even following the Tóchar Phádraig route from Ballintubber Abbey to Croagh Patrick.
Anthony Murphy, the author of a newly-published book, ‘Island of the Setting Sun – In Search of Ireland’s Ancient Astronomers’, explained to The Mayo News that when St Patrick first came to Ireland he landed at the Boyne Estuary and went to Slane to light the Paschal Fire. He said by doing this he was following an ‘equinox journey’ because Drogheda, where he landed, and Slane are aligned on the equinoxes.
“A large mound in Drogheda, called Millmount, is said locally to be as old as Newgrange. It overlooks the estuary where Patrick landed. This mound and an ancient mound on the Hill of Slane are aligned so that an observer situated on Millmount can see the sunset a couple of days after equinox setting over the Hill of Slane,” he said.
While researching for his book he used Google Earth to examine some ancient alignments and found that the equinox line from Slane extends west until it eventually hits Croagh Patrick. The route also takes in passes through the Cruachan Aí complex in Roscommon, which is one of the largest archaeological sites in Europe and where St Patrick is believed to have baptised Ethnea and Fethlimia, the daughters of King Laoghaire.
From there, it follows an ancient charity road which today is known as Tóchar Phádraig, which pilgrims follow each year from Ballintubber Abbey through Aughagower to Croagh Patrick. Mr Murphy believes that St Patrick was following an ancient alignment which centres around sacred astronomical observations made in the Stone Age.
“I found that when you extend the Millmount-Slane equinox line towards the west it eventually hits Croagh Patrick. In essence, Patrick seems to have followed this sacred equinox journey all the way from east to west. Millmount mound, Slane motte and the peak of Croagh Patrick are all in perfect alignment, with astonishing precision. The alignment stretches across 135 miles of Ireland, basically from the Irish Sea to Clew Bay. It is accurate to within a couple of feet. This really is extraordinary.
“Effectively what this means is that Patrick’s story – or at least some of the popular folklore about him – is founded on something that was already over 3,000 years old when he arrived. When you stand on Millmount looking at the sunset a few days after spring equinox, it sets directly over Slane. But what we didn’t know until recently was that this sunset also sets over Croagh Patrick, 135 miles away in Mayo,” he said.

‘Island of the Setting Sun – In Search of Ireland’s Ancient Astronomers’ is published by The Liffey Press. More information about the book and the alignment is available at www.mythicalireland.com

http://www.mayonews.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5348&Itemid=38