What is recorded here

In the gap of Glendine in County Laois, a sacred hawthorn called the Criochan still stands remembered, though its exact spot has been lost to time. People once believed Saint Patrick rested beneath its branches before entering Laois, and they dropped stones onto two small cairns nearby because the act felt lucky. The tree may have marked a boundary between worlds or simply offered shade to weary travellers, but its disappearance turns the gap into a question rather than a fact.

Unlocated bush described by Feehan as 'In the gap of Glendine itself there grew a sacred hawthorn known as the Criochan, once revered for some forgotten reason in the Celtic past; here Saint Patrick was believed to have rested on his way into Laois through the Gap, where there were two small cairns upon which it was believed lucky to place a stone as one passed. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 17 December 2007

Saint Patrick was believed to have rested beneath the Criochan, a sacred hawthorn in Glendine, linking the site to early Christian tradition in the area. The tree's reverence suggests a continuity of sacred landscape from pre-Christian Celtic practices.

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