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 |
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DAILY TELEGRAPH 1880 |
LIGHT DID COVER THE WHOLE GABLE. Not necessarily miraculous. |
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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. |
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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. |
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WEEKLY NEWS 1880 |
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1932 Testimony - not under oath |
Yes |
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1935 testimony to Liam Ua Cadhain |
Soft silvery light like the moon |
Soft silvery light like the moon |
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1936 deathbed sworn statement for Commission |
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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. |
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WITNESS |
DULL LIGHT |
BRIGHT LIGHT |
ANGELS |
5 Patrick Beirne |
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1932 Testimony |
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1936 Sworn statement |
Whole gable bright with white light |
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WITNESS |
DULL LIGHT |
BRIGHT LIGHT |
ANGELS |
6 Maggie Beirne |
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WITNESS |
DULL LIGHT |
BRIGHT LIGHT |
ANGELS |
7 Dominick Beirne |
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WITNESS |
DULL LIGHT |
BRIGHT LIGHT |
ANGELS |
8 Mrs Flatley |
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WITNESS |
DULL LIGHT |
BRIGHT LIGHT |
ANGELS |
9 Bridget Trench |
Extraordinary brightness |
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WITNESS |
DULL LIGHT |
BRIGHT LIGHT |
ANGELS |
10 Catherine Murray |
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WEEKLY NEWS 1880
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WITNESS |
DULL LIGHT |
BRIGHT LIGHT |
ANGELS |
11 John Curry |
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1937 New York Tribunal |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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WITNESS |
DULL LIGHT |
BRIGHT LIGHT |
ANGELS |
15 John Durkan |