The week of the celebration of St. Patrick's life, I am of course thinking of beautiful Ireland, and some of my own family roots there. Names like Willoughby (English to be sure, in origin) and Langrill (I think of Huguenot lineage), Kelly, FitzGerald, Connor and Hanafin call me back to the ancient green hills and jagged mountains and shorelines. (The British part of me mostly does not protest).

My ancestors in the Willoughby family line lived in County Wicklow, Ireland, near the little village of Tinahely. The townland where they were tenant farmers was called Killavaney, lands - before the British supplanting of Irish Catholics and creating of plantations with Scots and English tenant farmers in their place, owned by the O’Byrnes.

Killavaney is situated very near to what is now called the Tochar, a four corner intersection, named after the ‘tochar’ which is a very ancient, raised causeway across swampy lowland bogs. As this site indicates, the name 'Tochar' has led me to call this site and ministry by this name.What and

About 2 miles from Caleb any, as depicted in the picture, is what is known in Ireland as a holy well. This particular well lives with the ancient claim that Saint Patrick visited here and dedicated this well.

[I must confess that most of the following names, whether of people or places, are unknown to me.]

Here are some ancient references to St. Patrick at Toberpatrick:

"It was he that believed Patrick without hard conditions. He received him as a chaste soul friend at Eath Biligh. The blessing which he gave never decays upon beautiful Mell and upon Crimthan.." On this occasion he was reconciled to the converts made by Isserninus, whom he recalled from exile. Patrick asked, after baptizing him, that he would cherish Cathbu’s sons, and Isserninus with them; and he (Crimthan) granted the request. Cathbu’s sons went to their dwelling after that from the Fene of the Fidh, and they went to Patrick and Crimthan, son of Endae, at Sci Patrick [Patrick’s Thorn]. The place where this interview was held was near Killavaney, in the south of Wicklow, in the barony of Shilelagh. Near that place is St. Patrick's well which gives its name to the townland in which it is situate. St. Patrick's Bush is beside it. It is adorned with the usual offerings of shreds of garments, etc., hung on its branches by the pilgrims who come to visit this holy well. St. Patrick's intervention with Crimthan effected more than a reconciliation between Isserninus and his converts; for Crimthan,, son of Endas, gave from under Grian Fothart, from Gabur Liffe as far as  Suidhe Laighen. Issernius knelt to Patrick for this Manche and his Androit, and Patrick gave them to Bishop Fith, and he gave them to Cathbu’s sons, and he retired to lived with them at Ath Fithat, where Isserninus died, July 4, 469.

“From the place of this interview at Sci Patrick, the apostle went eastwards to Formael-na-b-fian, to to visit his friend Dubhtach. The Book of Armagh tells that story . . ."