NINTH WITNESS TO KNOCK VISION ANALYSED

Ninth Witness,

The Testimony of Bridget Trench aged 75

(three score and fifteen years)

The testimony of this witness was given in the Irish language. Her words were translated by Father Corbett into English while she spoke. The following is the version of what she said : — My name is Bridget Trench ; I live near the chapel of Knock. About half-past seven o'clock on the night of the 21st of August I was in the house of Mrs. Campbell, which is quite near to the chapel ; while I was there Mary Beirne came in and said there was a sight to be seen at the chapel such as we never before beheld, and she told us all to come and see it ; I asked her what it was, and she said that the Blessed Virgin, St. Joseph, and St. John were to be seen there. I went out immediately and came to the spot indicated. When I arrived there I saw distinctly the three figures. I threw myself on my knees and exclaimed : "A hundred thousand thanks to God and to the glorious Virgin that has given us this manifestation." I went in immediately to kiss, as I thought, the feet of the Blessed Virgin ; but I felt nothing in the embrace but the wall, and I wondered why I could not feel with my hands the figures which I had so plainly and so distinctly seen. The three figures appeared motionless, statue-like ; they were standing by the gable the church in the background, and seemed raised about two feet above the ground. The Blessed Virgin was in the centre; she was clothed in white, and covered with what appeared one white garment; her hands were raised to the same position as that in which a priest holds his hands when praying at holy Mass. I remarked distinctly the lower portions of her feet, and kissed them three times ; she had on her head something resembling a crown, and her eyes were turned up heavenwards. I was so taken with the Blessed Virgin, that I did not pay much attention to any other ; yet I saw also the two other figures — St. Joseph standing to the right of the Blessed Virgin, or to the left, as I looked at him, his head bent towards her and his hands joined ; and the other figure, which I took to be St. John the Evangelist, was standing at her left. I heard those around me say that the image was St. John. It was raining very heavily at the time, but no rain fell where the figures were, I felt the ground carefully with my hands, and it was perfectly dry. The wind was blowing from the south, right against the gable of the chapel, but no rain fell on that portion of the gable or chapel in which the figures were. There was no movement or active sign of life about the figures, and I could not say whether they were what living beings would in their place appear to be or not; but they appeared to me so full and so lifelike and so life-size that I could not understand why I could not feel them with my hands such as I beheld them with my eyes. There was an extraordinary brightness about the whole gable of the chapel, and it was observed by several who were passing along the road at the time. I remained there altogether about an hour, and when I came there first I thought I would never leave it. I would not have gone so soon as I did, but that I considered that the figures and that brightness would continue there always, and that on coming back I would again behold them . I continued to repeat the rosary on my beads while there, and I felt great delight and pleasure in looking at the Blessed Virgin. I could think of nothing else while there but giving thanks to God and repeating my prayers.

ALMOST THE WHOLE TESTIMONY IS A FABRICATION. TO AVOID A POSSIBLE DAY IN COURT, THE FABRICATOR HAD TO PREFIX THE TESTIMONY WITH A DISCLAIMER

"THE FOLLOWING IS THE VERSION OF WHAT SHE SAID."  THIS WAS SO THAT IF THE AUTHOR WAS CAUGHT OUT LYING HE COULD USE THE FOLLOWING AS AN EXCUSE - "SHE DIDN'T GIVE ME TIME TO WRITE DOWN WHAT SHE SAID EXACTLY.  I JUST TOOK QUICK NOTES."

HE COULD SAY HE ADMITTED HE MADE HIS VERSION AND EMBELLISHMENT OF WHAT SHE SAID FOR NOBODY COULD EXPECT COMPLETE ACCURACY UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

THE DOCTORED TESTIMONY FAILS TO SHOW THAT THE VISION IS CONVINCING.

"I went in immediately to kiss, as I thought, the feet of the Blessed Virgin ; but I felt nothing in the embrace but the wall, and I wondered why I could not feel with my hands the figures which I had so plainly and so distinctly seen." 

Notice how she reaches for the feet and finds only the wall.  We have flat images here. It doesn't agree with , "they appeared to me so full and so lifelike".  Why is the testimony not, " I wondered why I could not feel with my hands the feet of the Virgin who I had so plainly and so distinctly seen"?  It was the Virgin who grabbed her interest.  Was she really trying to touch more than the Virgin's feet?  If the image was really so clear then why did she, unlike the others, get so doubtful that Mary had a crown -"had on her head something resembling a crown?"

"There was an extraordinary brightness about the whole gable of the chapel, and it was observed by several who were passing along the road at the time." 

These are passer-bys.  Why didn't they see the images?  That they went on about their business shows they saw nothing startling only a light.  This indicates that the image was vague from the road.  As it was clear from the schoolhouse, it would suggest some kind of trickery.

She says she saw the three figures and never mentions the lamb or the altar. The way she speaks excludes their presence.

The assertion attributed to Bridget Trench, "The wind was blowing from the south" meaning against the gable from her fabricated testimony contradicts the assertion of Mary Beirne to The Weekly News of 1880 that there was no wind.

IT IS BELIEVED TRENCH TOLD HER STORY AND THE PRIEST WROTE IT DOWN IN ENGLISH.  THE ORIGINAL TESTIMONY REALLY DOES LOOK LIKE A TRANSLATION.  IT IS AWKWARD.  IT SHOWS THE LADY WAS NOT GOOD AT EXPRESSING HERSELF.

THE ORIGINAL TESTIMONY IS AS FOLLOWS:

Lives in this place.  On the eve of 21 August a person sick sent for her that she might see her.  She came that evening to the Church - something erased.  She was in the house of the sick woman.  She came by the road and saw great light. She entered at her right hand.  She left her hand on them.  She saw St Joseph and the BVM and St John and the altar and the lamb.  They were not standing on the ground but probably two feet above the ground.

THERE IS NO MENTION OF THE MIRACLE OF THE RAIN NOT WETTING THE GABLE. 

THE CHURCH DID NOT GET THE WITNESSES TO SIGN AND MARK EACH PAGE.  THAT CAUSES PROBLEMS FOR THOSE WHO SUSPECT THE PRIEST WAS AT LIBERTY TO WRITE DOWN A TESTIMONY OF SAY TWO PAGES AND GET THE SECOND SIGNED AND THEN CHANGE THE FIRST PAGE.  THE TESTIMONY IS AUTHENTIC THOUGH AS IT IS NOT THE KIND OF TESTIMONY THAT WOULD PLEASE THE CHURCH.  IT IS TOO GENERAL. 

IT IS REALLY A TESTIMONY ABOUT WHAT SHE REPORTED.  IT IS NOT REALLY HER TESTIMONY AT ALL.   IT IS HEARSAY.

EVEN THE ALTERED TESTIMONY MAKES US WONDER IF THE MIRACLE HAPPENED.  IT HAS BEIRNE ALLEGEDLY TELLING TRENCH AND OTHERS TO GO TO THE GABLE TO SEE THE VISION.  BUT WOULD SHE REALLY HAVE ASKED AN OLD WOMAN TO RISK GETTING WET?  THE IRISH UNIVERSALLY BELIEVED BACK THEN THAT GETTING WET GAVE YOU THE COLD OR FLU AND COULD THEREFORE KILL AN OLD PERSON.