FOURTH WITNESS TO KNOCK VISION ANALYSED

Fourth Witness,

Testimony of Patrick Walsh, aged Sixty-five years.

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.

THE GOLDEN LIGHT CONTRADICTS THE OTHER WITNESSES. HE SAID HE ONLY THINKS IT WAS BRIGHT. AND WHY DIDN'T HE RAISE THE ALARM IN CASE IT WAS A FIRE?  SURELY IF SUCH A LIGHT WAS HAPPENING IN THE RAIN IT WOULD INDICATE SOMETHING SERIOUSLY DANGEROUS? 

HE MENTIONS THE HEAVY RAIN BUT DOESN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT ITS DURATION.

HOW RELIABLE WAS HIS EYESIGHT?

DOES THIS NOT SOUND MORE LIKE A UFO EVENT?

AND AS WITH OTHERS SUCH AS HILL, WE HAVE NO ORIGINAL TESTIMONY.  WE JUST HAVE THIS TRANSCRIPTION FROM DUBIOUS PEOPLE.

WHY DOES HE SAY THOUGH THE LIGHT SEEMED TO STAY THE SAME STRENGTH ALL THROUGH? IS HE NOT SURE?  WAS HE NOT OUT LONG ENOUGH TO TELL FOR CERTAIN?

AT LEAST HE REPORTS THAT SOME SAID THE OCCURRENCE WAS A VISION OR APPARITION.  THE TWO ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE SAME THING. THE FIRST IS A SHOW AND THE SECOND IS A VISIBLE VISITATION.