St. Patrick's Purgatory
Lough Derg
County Donegal

In this page I express my personal impressions of Lough Derg. 
For comprehensive information, please go to the official site at http://www.lochderg.org

This is not to be confused with any of the many other  Lough Dergs in Ireland, especially the larger Shannon lough of the same name further south.This place might share its name, but in other respects it is unique not only in Ireland, but throughout the world.

Location mapTo get there you must go to Pettigo on the Donegal/Fermanagh border and there you will find an information centre called the Lough Derg Experience. It's worthwhile visiting this centre in order to get some detailed information about Lough Derg before setting out to see it. From Pettigo it's about 6 miles to the lough in which stands St. Patrick's Purgatory .

The lough sits in a bowl of almost totally unpopulated hills.

Of the numerous islands two are of note:

  • One is Saints Island, which St. Patrick and some of his disciples were reputed to have used as a retreat.

  • The other is Station Island, a place of pilgrimage since the 12th century .


    There are four ways or degrees of intensity by which you can experience Lough Derg between May and September.

1. You can go to the lough shore and just look. Any thoughts that Station Island looks like Alcatraz are dispelled by the atmosphere of total tranquility and peace. The island is dominated by the high dome of St. Patrick's Basilica around which are smaller buildings such as accommodation quarters and a chapel.

2. A boat trip will allow you to see around the lough and give a closer view of Station Island, but the trip does not include a visit to the island. The boat crew is informative and will answer any questions about the area.

3. A one-day retreat on the island provides organised spiritual exercises and time for private reflection and meditation. Although the day is relaxed and there are no penetential exercises, the retreat should only be undertaken with a spiritual motive and not used just as an opportunity for a look-see.

4. Three-day pilgrimages are conducted for which participants are required to:

  • Almost totally fast for the three days commencing at the midnight prior to setting out until the midnight after you leave the island. On the island, you may consume only water, black unsweetened tea, oatcake which tastes like caked sawdust, or blackened toast.

  • Remove your shoes and socks on arrival and not wear them again until just before departure on the third day. An important part of the penetential rite is walking the beds while praying. These are areas of uneven stone which, although smoothed somewhat by centuries of this exercise, neverthless dispose you to never again take shoes for granted.

  • Deprive yourself of sleep until your second night on the island. The first night is spent in prayer in and around the Basilica.

Now you can't be blamed for thinking that you have to be a Rambo to undertake this, and it is very tough, but in fact, strong spiritual motivation allows even frail looking little ladies of great age to be seen there giving it all they've got. Many of the pilgrims there at any one time are return visitors; for some people, the Lough Derg Pilgrimage is an annual must. Any visitor would have to be very insensitive not to be aware of what Dr. Johnson, visiting Iona, called local emotion. The place seems to radiate the deep spirituality of prayer and penance witnessed and absorbed for eight centuries.

Most of the adverse comment on the Lough Derg Experience comes from people who have not experienced it.

Advance booking is required for the one-day retreat.

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