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Battle to save Virgin Mary tree stump
Wednesday, 15 July 2009
Press 22 Limerick Ireland
The tree stump at Saint Marys church, Rathkeale, Co Limerick
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Parishoners in a west Limerick town are to meet their local priest this week in a bid to keep a tree stump they claim depicts the image of the Virgin Mary.
Parish priest Father Joe Dempsey returned from holidays to find that Rathkeale, Co Limerick, had become the centre of worldwide media attention after workmen removing trees from St Mary's Church grounds claimed to have revealed the religious figure in an 80-year-old tree stump.
Fr Dempsey has agreed with his colleague Fr Willie Russell, who said there was nothing in the four-foot tree stump.
Local businessman Seamus Hogan said visitors to the area were not worshipping the willow tree stump, but Our Lady.
"There are huge crowds still coming. We are not venerating the tree; we are venerating Our Lady, whose image we receive from it. It is the same as a marble statue inside the church," Mr Hogan said.
"We hope the church decides to leave it where it is and we will try to meet with Fr Dempsey over the next day or so."
More than 2,000 people in the Rathkeale area have signed a petition to prevent the removal of the stump.
"There is a rosary each night and looking around me now, I can see English registered cars and Northern Ireland registered cars also.
"We had Pakistanis and people from India here today. It is drawing huge crowds," Mr Hogan said.
Some enthusiastic visitors have even removed bits of wood from the tree stump.
"We want to get a glass or Perspex cover put over it as people are taking pieces off it.
"They believe they will get a cure from it or want to keep something as a memento from it," Mr Hogan added.
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Comments
55 Comments
Advanced is spelt Advanced,not advanceed John,obviously you did not advance in in english at school.
Posted by glynn | 16.07.09, 03:52 GMT
has the world gone mad ????
Posted by frankie | 15.07.09, 15:08 GMT
Is the image on the stump any less believable than a virgin birth or a mysterious man who made the world?
It's funny how you all snort at each other's religions when they are all as ridiculous as the next!
Posted by Mark | 15.07.09, 14:02 GMT
There is something not quite right with the heads of anyone worhipping a tree stump.
Posted by Steve | 15.07.09, 12:16 GMT
i saw an outline of virgin mary on my toast one morning, but i was hungry!
Posted by weev | 15.07.09, 09:22 GMT
What would you expect in Limerick they all out of their heads on drugs
Posted by william cameron | 13.07.09, 17:43 GMT
There was something similar on the J Ross show a few weeks ago. A couple had found an odd shaped wotsit. They named it "Cheesus"!!!!!!
Posted by Seamus | 13.07.09, 15:19 GMT
Lol, the religious wishing to avoid anything which might lead to superstition!!!!
Posted by Andy | 13.07.09, 10:53 GMT
i have an old stained ironing board cover that looks a bit like the virgin Mary - could this be a miracle or am i just deluded?
Posted by guy wilkins | 10.07.09, 22:46 GMT
Like flies round the proverbial- unemployed atheists and an article on religion
Posted by conor | 10.07.09, 22:13 GMT
who am I to judge? I personally don't see the image
the view of the Limerick Archdiocese that NO ONE should pray to a stump (worship of idols) is true
hope though that those who really need peace a hope in these tough economic times do find prosperity and hope - at least the economy in the town of St Mary's parish church in Rathkeale (pubs, restaurants and shops selling religious statues, candles etc) is booming!
Posted by Cheryl | 10.07.09, 16:11 GMT
Equally billy If you believe in the Protestant church (or any other kind for that matter) then 'god' help all your children, for it is all nonsense designed to keep the simple minded ordinary person i.e= YOU, in line. If people like Christopher Marlowe could see this in the 16th century, surely in the 21st it must be much easier to see through the farce known as religion. Basically what you are saying is 'my form on nonsense is much better than your form of nonsense'. Hilarious stuff Billy!
Posted by In The Name Of The Fada | 10.07.09, 14:21 GMT
I cant believe anyone could take this seriously. I mean come on people don't be so ridiculous. Has mankind not advanceed enough for all of us to realise how outlandish the concept is. there is no way she was a virgin! Come on people! Does look like her though.
Posted by john | 10.07.09, 13:54 GMT
I have looked and looked at the pictures and I can not see
the Virgin Mary.
Posted by Yvonne Holland | 10.07.09, 13:42 GMT
The stump is real the virgins a fake
Posted by ron54 | 10.07.09, 12:53 GMT
After reading this, I now understand the reasoning behind the Penal Laws of Ireland long ago. Tree worshipping in Limerick and Creationists in Government in Ulster. As a Southern Irish man I am glad I left the island of Ireland in 1976. At least my children can get a secular education in a grammar school in Kent
Posted by Stephen | 10.07.09, 11:05 GMT
In North Argentina, in the community of Purmamarca, locals worship this cactus with the face of Jezus for obvious reasons.
w w w .torito.nl/art/fotos/jezus
Posted by Rob | 10.07.09, 10:52 GMT
This is pathetic, to think that grown-ups can behave in this way.
The world must be having a good laugh at us!
Posted by P Crowson | 10.07.09, 10:40 GMT
Are the people of Limerick barking mad or what?
Posted by Theresa Green | 10.07.09, 09:09 GMT
Fr Willie Russell said: “There's nothing there... it’s just a tree...you can’t worship a tree.”
Class. A man who has devoted his life to silly beliefs lambasts other peoples silly beliefs.
Fr Willie Russell "Dont worship a tree, worship my book of ridiculous stories written by people who thought the world was flat"
Posted by believer | 10.07.09, 08:49 GMT
55 Comments