A TRICK IS SUSPECTED AT KNOCK 1879 FOR THE LIGHTING DOES NOT SOUND LIKE A MIRACLE

Source: 1879 Depositions of Witnesses of "Apparition" of Mary, Joseph, John and angels on the gable of Knock Chapel.

After the reported two hour apparition, depositions were taken from the witnesses. There are clues in those statements. Was it a miracle or paranormal or something more natural?

UNDERLINED TEXT AT FACE VALUE INDICATES THE SUPERNATURAL OR INEXPLICABLE

THE BOLDED TEXT IS CLEAR EVIDENCE OF THE MAGIC LANTERN THEORY OR A NON-MIRACLE

THE REST DOESN'T INDICATE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER

THERE ARE FAR MORE BOLDED INDICATING THAT THE EVIDENCE FAVOURS A NATURAL INTERPRETATION


WE NEED THE ANGELS COLUMN. WHY DID THE IRISH WHO LOVE FAIRIES AND ANGELS HARDLY MENTION THEM? DID THOSE WHO SAID THEY SAW ANGELS LIE?

WITNESS

DULL LIGHT

BRIGHT LIGHT

ANGELS

1

Patrick Hill

Indicated that it was dull - he didn't see the light though he was running in the direction of the gable.  He only saw it when he got closer: "When we, running southwest, came so far from the village that on our turning the gable came in view, we immediately beheld the lights, a clear, white light".  Why does he talk as if the light was the most striking thing?  What about the images he claimed were very distinct and clear?  What about first impressions?

Bright light Covering the Gable.  Believers say that no Magic Lantern could make a light that bright.  But we must remember the witnesses only said there was light all over the gable.  A lantern would manage to do that. The light would be brighter around where the lens was trained on and duller elsewhere.

Yes

WEEKLY NEWS 1880

LIGHT DID NOT COVER THE WHOLE GABLE AND WAS SOFT AND BRIGHT

DAILY TELEGRAPH 1880

LIGHT DID COVER THE WHOLE GABLE.  Not necessarily miraculous.

WITNESS

DULL LIGHT

BRIGHT LIGHT

ANGELS

2

Mary McLoughlin

Does not say if the light was that bright, but she did say she could see the figures better after dark and said the light was white.

WITNESS

DULL LIGHT

BRIGHT LIGHT

ANGELS

3

Mary Beirne

She says only that the body of the lamb seemed to be reflecting light - suits the view that pictures were used and light shone on them

Probably not.  The light, if remarkably bright, should have been seen from her house if one looks at the ordinance survey map.  Even her and McLoughlin didn't see the light until they got closer to the gable despite having a partial view of the gable from the Beirne house.  This indicates the light was dull

She says only that the body of the lamb seemed to be reflecting light - suits the view that pictures were used and light shone on them. 

WEEKLY NEWS 1880

1932 Testimony - not under oath

Yes

1935 testimony to Liam Ua Cadhain

Soft silvery light like the moon

Soft silvery light like the moon

1936 deathbed sworn statement for Commission

WITNESS

DULL LIGHT

BRIGHT LIGHT

ANGELS

4

Patrick Walsh

Very bright light - but says it was "high up in the air above and around the chapel gable" which contradicts what some of the other witnesses said - the rest were silent.  He says it was "a large globe of golden light".  This contradicts the witnesses who said the light was soft and white.

WITNESS

DULL LIGHT

BRIGHT LIGHT

ANGELS

5

Patrick Beirne

1932 Testimony

1936 Sworn statement

Whole gable bright with white light

WITNESS

DULL LIGHT

BRIGHT LIGHT

ANGELS

6

Maggie Beirne

WITNESS

DULL LIGHT

BRIGHT LIGHT

ANGELS

7

Dominick Beirne

WITNESS

DULL LIGHT

BRIGHT LIGHT

ANGELS

8

Mrs Flatley

WITNESS

DULL LIGHT

BRIGHT LIGHT

ANGELS

9

Bridget Trench

Extraordinary brightness

WITNESS

DULL LIGHT

BRIGHT LIGHT

ANGELS

10

Catherine Murray

WEEKLY NEWS 1880

 

WITNESS

DULL LIGHT

BRIGHT LIGHT

ANGELS

11

John Curry

1937 New York Tribunal

WITNESS

DULL LIGHT

BRIGHT LIGHT

ANGELS

12

Judith Campbell

 She says first that night came on and then she mentions she saw a beautiful light shining around the figures.  This seems to imply the images got clearer the darker it got.

WITNESS

DULL LIGHT

BRIGHT LIGHT

ANGELS

13

Margaret Beirne 2

Bright light that sparkled at times - the sparkling could have been caused by the rain getting in the way of the light source. 

WITNESS

DULL LIGHT

BRIGHT LIGHT

ANGELS

14

Dominick Beirne Sen

The falsifier of his testimony has it that he said, "Bright light like the sun" but he actually merely said it was plain like the noonday sun.

WITNESS

DULL LIGHT

BRIGHT LIGHT

ANGELS

15

John Durkan