Lough Derg

Lough Derg An ancient place of Pilgrimage & Retreat, Lough Derg continues to offer opportunities for encounter with self & with God in these changing times.

The Sanctuary of St Patrick - Lough Derg - is a place of Christian Pilgrimage since the 5th Century. The sacred Island is a place of prayer and contemplation. The spirituality of St Patrick is remembered and renewed every year by pilgrims who come on pilgrimage and retreat.

Gratitude is not a feeling — it is a practice. And Lough Derg, which strips away comfort and convenience, turns out to b...
06/06/2026

Gratitude is not a feeling — it is a practice. And Lough Derg, which strips away comfort and convenience, turns out to be one of the most powerful schools of gratitude in the world. When everything is taken away, what remains is gift.

The Pilgrims of Lough Derg (2)This season, we've been asking pilgrims what brings them to the Three Day Pilgrimage — and...
05/06/2026

The Pilgrims of Lough Derg (2)

This season, we've been asking pilgrims what brings them to the Three Day Pilgrimage — and the answers are as varied as the people who make the journey.

Some come to deepen their faith. Others come to carry a loved one in prayer, or to honour someone they've lost. Many come simply to step away from the noise of everyday life and find something quieter within themselves.

"This is my fifth time here.
The last time I came was two years ago — this year I was at a real low point. I felt drawn to come, so I asked God to help me. And I made Him a promise: if He came through, I'd be back.
Sure enough, He did.
So here I am. Fulfilling my promise — and saying thank you."

04/06/2026

Bare feet. Ancient stones. Ancient prayers.

What you're seeing here is something that has echoed across this sacred island for over a thousand years — pilgrims walking the Penitential Beds, praying the Station Prayers, just as countless souls have done before them.

Station prayers repeated on the penitential beds of bare stone leave a lasting impact — and those beds themselves are the remnants of the old beehive prayer cells used by monks centuries ago. The prayers have changed very little since. The hunger for God hasn't changed at all.

Lough Derg is a great place to bring your burdens and leave them behind — and often it is the unexpected that surprises us: a thought emerges, a new idea, a different way of looking at something.

Could you be called to this? The Three Day Pilgrimage runs until Friday 15th August — with the last day to begin being Wednesday 13th August.

Come as you are. The island is waiting.

Today we remember Servant of God Ragheed Ganni, a cherished friend of Lough Derg whose life and witness continues to ins...
03/06/2026

Today we remember Servant of God Ragheed Ganni, a cherished friend of Lough Derg whose life and witness continues to inspire across the world.

Fr Ragheed served on the staff of Lough Derg from 1996 to 2003 while studying for the priesthood in Rome. He had a deep love for this holy place and for the many pilgrims he encountered here.

On 3 June 2007, Fr Ragheed was martyred alongside three fellow Christians in Mosul, Iraq, after celebrating Sunday Mass. His faith, courage and fidelity to Christ remain a powerful testimony of hope.

As we give thanks for his life and witness, we invite you to join us in prayer:

Lord, through the example of Fr Ragheed Ganni, strengthen us in faith, deepen our trust in You, and help us to be faithful witnesses to Your love in our own time. Amen.

May his memory be a blessing and may his cause for beatification continue to advance.

🕯️ Carrying You to the Island | Exam Season 2026As thousands of young people across Ireland are getting ready to sit the...
02/06/2026

🕯️ Carrying You to the Island | Exam Season 2026

As thousands of young people across Ireland are getting ready to sit their Junior and Leaving Certificate examinations — and many more face tests and assessments at every level — Station Island is carrying them in prayer.

Every day on the Island, pilgrims walk the ancient Penitential Beds, keep the Vigil, and lift their intentions to God. And this time of year, so many of those intentions bear the names of sons and daughters, grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles — you who come to Lough Derg with a young person's name written on your heart — know that your sacrifice and prayer here is one of the most powerful gifts you can give them. In a tradition inspired by the memory of Saint Patrick, Lough Derg has been a sacred site across the centuries — a place made holy by God's grace through the penance, prayer, and spiritual endeavour of God's faithful pilgrim people.

That faithfulness is alive today — in every bare foot on cold stone, in every sleepless hour of Vigil, in every quiet prayer offered for a young person facing the pressure of exams.

To every student: you are not alone. You are being carried.

🙏 Share this prayer with someone who needs it.

Throwback to a moment we will never forget.Last August, Station Island was graced by the presence of one of the four pil...
02/06/2026

Throwback to a moment we will never forget.

Last August, Station Island was graced by the presence of one of the four pilgrim Sacred Heart statues — a simple statue, blessed by Pope Francis as a sign of his encouragement that we renew a sense of the love of Jesus.

That visit was part of the All-Ireland Sacred Heart Crusade, through which Ireland is being reconsecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ. To stand before that statue here, on this ancient island of penance and prayer, was to feel the beating heart of the faith that has drawn pilgrims to these shores for over 1,500 years.

Now, as we enter June — the month the Church dedicates to the Sacred Heart — that memory calls us deeper. The image of the Sacred Heart is so forceful. It reminds us, day in and day out, that the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is not only burning for us, but should be burning within us.

Heart speaking to heart — a fresh, personal encounter with Christ. That is what Lough Derg has always offered. That is what the Sacred Heart always offers.

This June, let the month of the Sacred Heart be more than a calendar devotion. Let it be an invitation — to return, to repent, to be renewed. The island is open. The Heart of Jesus is open wider still.

Plan your pilgrimage this summer at www.loughderg.org

A Pilgrim’s PrayerAs the first Three Day Pilgrims of the 2026 season departed Station Island on Sunday morning, one pilg...
01/06/2026

A Pilgrim’s Prayer

As the first Three Day Pilgrims of the 2026 season departed Station Island on Sunday morning, one pilgrim shared this beautiful prayer, written from her experience of pilgrimage.

Its words capture something that has been true of Lough Derg for centuries and remains true today: no one comes here for themselves alone. Pilgrims carry with them the names, faces, hopes and burdens of family, friends, neighbours, and even those they may never meet.

Every step taken, every prayer offered, every vigil kept is often made in love for another.

As the pilgrimage season continues, we invite you to read this prayer and remember that, whether you are able to come to Lough Derg or not, your intentions are carried in the prayers of pilgrims who journey here.

“Receive these prayers for others, Lord. They are the best prayers we have.”

A few weeks ago we shared a photo from Fr. Stephen Sherry's ordination to the priesthood — and we are so happy to now ha...
01/06/2026

A few weeks ago we shared a photo from Fr. Stephen Sherry's ordination to the priesthood — and we are so happy to now have him here as part of the clergy team on the Island!

Fr. Stephen is a familiar face to many pilgrims, having served faithfully on the Basilica Team for over 10 years. It's wonderful to have him back at Lough Derg. Please keep him in your prayers!

Feast of the Most Holy TrinityEvery time we make the Sign of the Cross, we proclaim our faith in the Holy Trinity: Fathe...
31/05/2026

Feast of the Most Holy Trinity

Every time we make the Sign of the Cross, we proclaim our faith in the Holy Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. What we celebrate today is the mystery we pray every day.

As pilgrims come to Lough Derg seeking God’s grace, may the love of the Father, the presence of the Son, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit accompany them on their journey.

“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

The Pilgrims of Lough Derg (1)This season, we've been asking pilgrims what brings them to the Three Day Pilgrimage — and...
31/05/2026

The Pilgrims of Lough Derg (1)

This season, we've been asking pilgrims what brings them to the Three Day Pilgrimage — and the answers are as varied as the people who make the journey.

Some come to deepen their faith. Others come to carry a loved one in prayer, or to honour someone they've lost. Many come simply to step away from the noise of everyday life and find something quieter within themselves.

"I'm back this year. I didn't make it last year — I thought of every excuse under the sun not to come.
I felt so bad about it.
On the way up yesterday I was still fighting with myself. Will I come, or won't I? So I asked my dad and my brother to help me. They've both passed on. The signs I've received from them since — they're extraordinary.
I just love it here. The peace. The tranquillity. Getting away from everything.
It's hard. But I love it.
A year isn't a year until I come here."

Address

Lough Derg, The Sanctuary Of Street Patrick
Pettigoe
F94PC60

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 9pm
Tuesday 9am - 9pm
Wednesday 9am - 9pm
Thursday 9am - 9pm
Friday 9am - 9pm
Saturday 9am - 9pm
Sunday 9am - 9pm

Telephone

+353719861518

Website

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