The dubious testimony of Patrick Walsh concerning the Knock Vision
Images of Mary and Joseph and others supposedly appeared on the chapel gable at Knock in 1879 for two hours.
The following was taken by priests at the
commission of investigation.
My name is Patrick Walsh; I live at Ballinderrig, an English mile from the
chapel of Knock. I remember well the 21st of August, 1879. It was a very dark
night. It was raining heavily. About nine o'clock on that night I was going on
some business through my land, and standing a distance of about half a mile from
the chapel, I saw a very bright light on the southern gable-end of the chapel ;
it appeared to be a large globe of golden light ; I never saw, I thought, so
brilliant a light before; it appeared high up in the air above and around the
chapel gable, and it was circular in its appearance ; it was quite stationary,
and it seemed to retain the same brilliancy all through. The following day I
made inquiries in order to learn if there were any lights seen in place that
night; it was only then I heard of the Vision or Apparition that the people had
seen.
COMMENTARY: It is thought that as Patrick Walsh, 65, who lived at Ballinderrig
about a mile from Knock saw such a bright light that it seemed as if the Church
was on fire that a brightness of that potency could only be miraculous.
It is thought that luminous paint and magic lanterns can't account for it.
He said the light he saw was "quite stationary" and "circular" and "appeared
high up in the air above and around the chapel gable" (page 26, The Apparition
at Knock). He reported that he saw the light from a half mile from the chapel.
His testimony is used to verify that the apparition was not mass hallucination -
he alone stands as its seeming refutation. So his testimony is very very
important - but is it true or believable?
The problems are that if his story was true, then why was he the only person at
a distance that saw the light? A light that bright and big should have been seen
by more than him. The area after all was quite flat with few trees. It should
have been seen for miles around. Why did nobody else from that distance or more
see it from their houses? Would he have really been out in the fields in the
dark on such a wet night?
Patrick Walsh should have thought the Church was on fire when he saw the light
from a half a mile away. Indeed it is claimed from oral testimony ie gossip that
he thought somebody had lit a fire beside the Church (page 73, The Apparition at
Knock). Surely somebody only a half a mile away from a church wrapped in light
would have went to investigate? - it would have looked as if the Church was on
fire. Indeed there are reports that Walsh thought it was on fire but went to
rest for the night nonetheless (page 66, Mother of Nations). Reliable and
dependable wasn't he? Surely when he went home his family would have went out to
see if there was a light upon hearing his story? If it is true that Walsh spoke
of what looked like a fire then his testimony has been doctored. It contradicts
any notion of a fire with its talk of a circular and stationary light.
Why didn't the police investigate if there was any kind of light or anything
that looked like a fire? They must have seen the light and they had a barracks
nearby. Was it because there was nothing remarkable about the light?
No effort was made to ensure that Walsh mentioned this light before he was told
of it. All we know is that he was asking the people about the light the next
day. This is only hearsay. The story of the apparition would have been so
arresting that the first person he met would have told him of it before he got
the chance to ask about any fire.
Ballinderrig is a townland in the vicinity of Knock in the Ballyhaunis
direction. You would find it impossible to get a reasonable or direct view of the gable from it. If
he saw a light then it was not on that gable but another one and higher up. No
wonder nobody was interested in mapping exactly where he was
supposed to be.
People seeing lights is common enough - especially at apparition sites. The
Church pays no attention to them. Nobody takes them seriously. God would have
better things to do than make such effects. So why take Walsh seriously?
The testimony is altered. Tradition including that of Walsh's own family members
say he thought he saw a fire but that is not in his testimony. Also the heavy
rain tale is refuted by other sources. It was drizzle according to Patrick
Beirne. We choose however to make do with what we have that is attributed to
Walsh. But not much weight can be put on it.