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The Interview At 63 years of age Patrick McDonnell has led a life marked by tragedy and misfortune.
Pilgrim’s Progress
Patrick McDonnell’s faith has helped him overcome a life touched by tragedy
The Interview Neill O’Neill
In a life blighted by tragedy and misfortune, Patrick McDonnell has found sanctuary in pilgrimages. Life has been one long battle for the Belmullet native but now, at 63 years of age, he is finally claiming triumph over adversity and proclaims he is the happiest person in the world. Patrick’s weapon against the difficulties he encountered over the years has been his unfailing faith, something he practises today by visiting holy sites. He will be in Fatima in Portugal for the opening of the new basilica on October 13 next, and plans to travel to Medugorje a week later. “I go to as many holy sites as I can. You come back from these places so thankful and with a renewed appreciation for life. It is a beautiful feeling. “We are lucky in Ireland that we have so many and even more so in Mayo with Knock and Croagh Patrick. These are beautiful places,” he says. Since his first trip to Medugorje five years ago, Patrick has been enchanted by these pilgrimages and the people he meets on them. “Medugorje is special to me. I feel peaceful there and have had some lovely experiences with the people I met. Lots of people go in groups and I used to as well, but now I go privately as with groups you go where you are taken and I am so familiar with the place that I like to be able to go wherever I want. I often show people around over there and lead them to the shrines and it is nice to be able to share the experience with other pilgrims, who are there for the same reason as yourself.” Life wasn’t always so serene for the pilgrim who now lives in Pontoon, close to the shores of beautiful Lough Conn. The second child in a family of four, Patrick’s early years involved a lot of change. His mother’s death when he was three remains etched in his mind. It was the beginning of a tumultuous youth, that saw he and his siblings separated at various times, as their father struggled to cope, before eventually leaving them. At eight years of age, Patrick worked year round, helping his grandfather in his role as a fisherman and selling their catch in Belmullet to sustain the family. The hours spent at sea served a greater purpose for the young boy, however. Patrick now says that his grandfather, and to a lesser extent his schoolteacher, were his two great guides in life. “What they taught me has stuck with me to this day,” he says. “My faith comes from them and it has guided me through all I have encountered over the years. All the events and tragedies were just tests, obstacles, but I would never have got over them if it wasn’t for my faith.” Nor did the ‘tests’ end with the arrival of adulthood. Having moved to London as a teenager, in search of his father, he married there at the age of 21. The couple had four children, but tragedy struck in 1972 when their son, Patrick, died in a fire at their home. Marital problems followed, and when the union eventually ended, it was Patrick who reared his three remaining children alone. “I was working in the tunnels and it was difficult to raise the kids at the same time. I had to give up work and stay with the children because juggling everything became too hard. The youngest lad, Seán, was deaf and that made it more difficult. I used to go to school with him to learn sign language and I won a national one-parent family award in England during that time,” he recalls. A brighter period in his life seemed destined to follow when he met his second wife, with whom he moved to New York, along with his three children. However, things didn’t work out there for the family and they returned within a short period of time. He and his second wife had five children and as they were growing up, the family lived in various parts of the country, including Ballymote, Roscommon and Spiddal, with Patrick working in different jobs to support his family. Health trouble was the next problem Patrick encountered and, after some tests, he underwent major heart surgery at a young age, performed by the noted heart surgeon, Dr Maurice Neligan.
Now, with more problems behind him than an average large family, Patrick has found solace in visiting pilgrim sites and living a life marked by strong faith. He has not yet visited Lourdes, in southwestern France, but insists that the wealth of religious sites in Ireland is keeping him more than busy. He is a devout Catholic and visits the Marian Shrine at Knock twice a week, which he feels is not as busy as some of the other sacred Christian sites he has been to. “The feeling I get at Knock is the same as in Medugorje – it is an equally beautiful place but is not as busy. I think this is because in Ireland, where the faith is so strong, people can celebrate any of the feast days in their local church and don’t need to travel to Knock to do so.” Croagh Patrick is the other holy site in Mayo that has captured Patrick’s heart. He describes the mountain as a different kind of experience from that of other pilgrim sites. “People get a great joy from being able to do the climb and are pleased with themselves afterwards. I feel that people get a mental reward as well as a spiritual one after they conquer the Reek. I have spoken to people on the mountain who were filled with joy up there and I believe that people can find everything they need in these places. It is a simple thing but it can be joyous to watch people being so happy in places like Knock and on Croagh Patrick.” Patrick is also a regular visitor to Clonfert, which he calls ‘a little bit if heaven on earth.’, while one of his lesser-known ports of call was the site of the moving statue of the Virgin Mary in Ballinaspittle in Cork. He has not yet been to Lough Derg for a retreat but hopes to do so in the near future too, as his pilgrim journey continues. Patrick McDonnell’s life has taken many twists and turns, including several cruel ones, but he is living proof that with faith any obstacle can be overcome. “I’m happy out. I’ve been through the mill but it has all just been challenges and tests set for me and I’ve passed them all. I have said prayers every day through my life and I know my faith got me through the hard times. I enjoy fun and craic and dancing, music and singing. I have no regrets, none at all. I never took medication after my by-pass and have been healthy since. The Lord gave me the strength and the willpower to come through all the hard things I encountered and also the ability to forgive.”
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