Local ‘Patterns’, Global Currents – The Changing Face of Pilgrimage Traditions in Rural Western Ireland, c. 1800-Present

Summary

Common in the post-medieval period, annual ‘patterns’ or feast day celebrations of local patron saints remains an ongoing tradition in parts of rural Ireland. At times suppressed by the Catholic Church, pattern day activities typically involve visiting sacred monuments (e.g. wells, stones, trees, and medieval monastic ruins) to carry out a series of devotional practices. Such traditions represent the intersection of medieval heritage with both specific local conditions and broader historical trends. Combining archaeology, oral history, and ethnography, this paper examines how pattern practices have developed from the 19th century till today in the wake of shifts in clerical authority, urbanization, national politics, trans-national migration, and tourist economies. Evidence from Inishark Island, Caher Island, St MacDara’s Island, Máméan, and other sites in western Ireland indicate how the creative maintenance of ritual heritage has allowed rural communities to sustain their identities and livelihoods in a world increasingly shaped by global currents. 

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2018   •
• Localized Rural Histories and Connected Worlds: Interdisciplinary Narratives of Transformation, Emigration and Interaction

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 1030