St. Patrick’s Sanctuary, Lough Derg, is preparing to re-open Station Island in Donegal to pilgrims from May 1 for its full pilgrimage summer programme, after having been forced to close for the past two years due to Covid-19 restrictions.

A new museum has been unveiled at the lake shore, with former and present Lough Derg priors joining representatives from Donegal County Council in attendance at the official opening.

Described as an "institutional memory" of the unique place of pilgrimage, the Pilgrim Shelter Museum will serve as a brand-new point of interest for the many pilgrims eager to return to the sacred island.

Remarkably, before the current pandemic struck, the last time the renowned Lough Derg pilgrimage season was suspended was back in 1828.

During a normal season, more than 10,000 pilgrims would make their annual pilgrimage or retreat during the summer months, and this year prior Fr. La Flynn is confident that Lough Derg is back with a stronger mission than ever, building on foundations that reach back as far as St. Patrick.

He said: “In what has been a most challenging time for everyone, at Lough Derg we experienced our own challenges.

"We acknowledge how much our loyal pilgrims missed their annual pilgrimage on Station Island, and we are delighted to announce we are re-opening the island for the usual one-day retreats in May, August and September, and for the three-day pilgrimage from June 1 to August 15.”

Explaining how Lough Derg adapted when the pandemic struck, Fr. La Flynn said: “When the pandemic struck, Lough Derg was determined to ensure that its mission would still continue over the lockdown periods, when pilgrims needed a space for prayer.

"The ‘Do Lough Derg wherever you are’ online event in late June, 2020, was the first time that the historic pilgrimage, including an all-night vigil, was experienced digitally.

"This initiative saw more than 1,000 pilgrims join in from all around the world, from Vancouver to Beijing, and it was repeated in July, 2021, on account of the renewed public health restrictions then in place.

“A guided pilgrimage walk experience on the lake shore Lough Derg Pilgrim Path was likewise born out of necessity when Station Island was closed.

"Unlike the exceptional online pilgrimage, the Pilgrim Path is here to stay, and dates will shortly be published for this year,” he added.

Speaking about the launch of the new museum, Fr. La Flynn added: “The Pilgrim Shelter Museum and the newly-refurbished Visitor Centre will greatly enhance the experience for visitors and pilgrims alike."

Thanking those who contributed grants, Fr. La Flynn added: “Our Lough Derg Team’s longstanding dream of a lakeshore museum became a realistic project because of the grant aid we received from Donegal County Council, under the auspices of its Minor Tourism Related Works Grant Scheme.

"We are indebted to the awarding body for its significant funding towards this new development.”