Why this matters
Linked to Saint Patrick, the site is traditionally associated with early Christian penitential practices. The name "Labba Patrick" suggests it may have been a place of prayer or pilgrimage, reflecting the widespread veneration of Saint Patrick in Irish sacred landscapes.
What is recorded here
Located in the SE part of a graveyard (MA088-063002-).
This penitential station is named ‘Labba Patrick’ [Patrick’s bed] on the 1838 and 1929 OS 6-inch maps. The stone paving and walling now visible were constructed in the modern era. The original form of the monument is uncertain; it appears to have encompassed a roughly rectangular area (3.4m N−S; 2.85m E−W) containing stones or bedrock, traditionally thought to have been the resting place of St. Patrick. It was the first station in the traditional ‘pattern’, a ritual of prayers and devotions, which was undertaken at Aghagower. In the 1838 OS Letters, John O’Donovan recorded that ‘at the base of an aged ash tree is Leaba Phatraig or the Bed of Saint Patrick, at which pilgrims commence the Station of Aghagower. I saw an old woman pray at this sacred spot, and I can never forget the enthusiastic glow of devotion to which her eyes gave expression…’ (O’ Flanagan, 457 (225)).
Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy
Date of upload: 11 December 2020
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