Eoin Butler: writer, journalist and Mayoman of the Year
Tripping Along The Ledge
Christina Gallagher
There he was tormented by demons, in the form of great black birds that swooped around him.
Finally, he rang his bell, and the demons fled, perishing in the sea beyond Achill Island. Read the rest of this article here.
“TAKE MY HAND, LORD JESUS TAKE MY HAND…”
Religious beliefs and practices in Mayo are informed by ancient tradition, galvanized by history and shot through always with the strangest, and most profound, ambiguity. Nowhere is this better illustrated than on the stony slopes of Croagh Patrick…Read the rest of this article here.
For God & St. Patrick
“Take my hand,” croons the singer on Mid West Radio. “Lord Jesus, take my hand.” Its 9am on the last Sunday in July, and the crowd outside Campbell’s pub, at the foot of Croagh Patrick, are basking in the early morning sunshine. They wear county jerseys, and clutch pints of Guinness and bottles of Bulmers. An old man plays the box accordion, while the jukebox inside blasts ‘Sean South from Garryowen’. Some appear weary from their morning’s exertions. But the mood is one of festive celebration. We’re at the bottom of a mountain, but at the very apex of a summer.