Although weekly Mass attendance continues to fall, the interest in pilgrimages remains as strong as ever, writes Dr Eamon Maher
After a break of 10 years, I recently headed back to Lough Derg in fulfilment of a commitment made some time ago.
As I travelled along a stretch of new motorway, I noticed how much the landscape had changed, with new houses and holiday homes springing up everywhere along the road to Mullingar, and as far west as Carrick-on-Shannon. The thought struck me that going on a pilgrimage might appear somewhat peculiar in the Ireland of today.
After all, as a nation we seem fixated on increased prosperity, lower taxes, foreign holidays, the instant gratification of all our desires.
A lot of time is futilely spent trying to occlude unpleasant realities like death and suffering. Every day, people are losing parents, spouses, friends, siblings, even children; others are discovering that they, or someone close to them, have a terminal illness.
Our lives are transient and finite, punctuated by periods of happiness certainly, but also by anguish.
A trip to Lough Derg provides an opportunity to reflect on these issues, while placed at a remove from frenetic daily existence.
The island itself is situated outside the small Donegal village of Pettigo.
The short expanse of water between it and the mainland might as well be a huge ocean, so completely does it separate you from your daily routine and human comforts. On alighting from the boat, you make a quick trip to the dormitories to remove footwear and don suitable attire to face the elements.
Then, all of a sudden you are embarked on your first "Station" - you have to complete nine in all.
A Station involves saying various prayers (while kneeling and walking) at different points inside and around the basilica, especially in the notorious penitential beds whose jagged stones cut into soft feet unused to such torment.
Early on, you go to St Brigid's Cross and, with arms outstretched, you proclaim your renouncement of the world, the flesh and the Devil - humiliation of the flesh is strongly emphasised during the pilgrimage.
I am sure that many readers would be incredulous at the thought that anyone should willingly choose to fast for three days - you are only allowed to eat three "Lough Derg meals", consisting of toast or bread without butter or jam, washed down by black tea or coffee - and, in addition, stay awake for the 24 hours of the Vigil, which begins at 10pm on the day of your arrival. It is certainly not for the fainthearted.
As you are barefoot and go without sleep the first night, it is often impossible to stay warm.
The midges in mild weather are an even greater source of torment.
The hunger is probably the easiest of the deprivations, but it can cause weakness among many.
So why do people go to Lough Derg? On our second day, a young trainee religion teacher skilfully chaired a meeting that sought to tease out the motivation of people for doing the pilgrimage.
Many were there with petitions they wanted to pray for, some to give thanks for favours granted, others out of a sense of guilt for neglecting their religious duties.
One man had cycled from Dublin to Pettigo and was doing Lough Derg because of his belief that the Christian journey is about carrying the Cross, not in a symbolic, but real, manner.
A number of people commented on the communal spirit that existed among pilgrims, all of whom are subjected to the same discomfort.
It is hard to find a similar experience of community in the high-octane Ireland in which we now live.
Later that day, seated on a bench beside the shop located beside the mooring peer for the boats, I noticed a large group from Cork disembarking.
They were smiling and talking, seemingly oblivious to the rain that was falling heavily and the misery that awaited them.
It was as if the group dynamic was driving them on, the knowledge that they were all going to have to get through this experience together.
I reflected that there has to be something special about a place that has that effect on people.
Lough Derg provides a type of "detox" programme which allows one the mental space to reflect on what we should prioritise in life.
The prior, Mgr Richard Mohan, informed us as we were leaving that numbers coming to the island are up on last year.
So rumours of the demise of St Patrick's Purgatory are greatly exaggerated.
This is a good thing because, as Ireland become increasingly more prosperous and secular, it is important to have an oasis of prayer and calm like Lough Derg to which people can retreat from time to time.
• Dr Eamon Maher is director of the National Centre for Franco-Irish Studies in ITT Dublin (Tallaght).