CURRENT ISSUE:  OCTOBER 2023

Columbus Irish: Stone of Destiny

Columbus Irish: Stone of Destiny

By Andrew Shuman

The time has come,” the Walrus said, “To talk of many things: Of shoes-and ships-and sealing wax –
Of cabbages-and kings – And why the sea is boiling hot – And whether pigs have wings.”
                                                – Lewis Carroll

The month of May is here, and cabbage are out of season, but kings and crowns are not. Last month we celebrated the King of Kings and His Easter Rising. This month, many school children bring flowers of the fairest and flowers of the rarest to crown the Queen of the May, Mary.

I have fond memories of these events. Maybe because it is my birthday month, maybe because it was the return of good weather, or maybe because of the pageantry of the event. It was a special honor for the student selected to crown Mary with a wreath of blossoms.

May Crowning
In Columbus, our Lady Hibernians will host their own May Crowning. It is like many gatherings, about faith, friendship, and a little food afterwards. I look forward to participating again this year.

If you like pageantry, the coronation of bonny Prince Charlie will be your cup of tea. When he mounts the throne there will be much tradition. Like may traditions and myths, verifying the origins are difficult, but finding a good story is not.

Coronation Chair, Westminster Abbey.

Beneath the seat of the Coronation Chair will be the Stone of Scone. The ancient stone upon which monarchs have been crowned since Edward I brought the stone to England in 1296. This 500 lb. block was spoils from the First Scottish War of Independence. Edward had the stone brought to Westminster Abbey. where the Coronation Chair was built around it.

Over the next 700 years, attempts both legal and illegal were made to return it to Scotland. In 1996, it was returned to Scotland to reside in Edinburgh Castle with the Scottish crown jewels. While some say the stone originally sat beneath Macbeth’s castle at Dunsinane, others say it is the Stone of Destiny brought from Ireland.

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Myths say the stone had been transported to Ireland by the Tuatha Dé Danann in 580 BC from Jerusalem. The stone was said to have been the stone upon which Jacob rested when he had a vision from Heaven.

After the sacred relic was transport to Ireland, it became one of four treasures of Ireland, along with the Sword of Light, Spear of Lugh, and Dagda’s Cauldron. The Stone of Destiny was said to have mythical powers; when the rightful King of Ireland put his feet upon it, it would roar with joy. It is probably just a coincidence that the Stone of Destiny (not the Stone of Scone) can be seen today on the Hill of Tara in County Meath

Lia Fáil-Stone of Destiny,
Hill of Tara, Co. Meath

Stone of Destiny
The Irish legend tells of a stone arriving in Scotland on loan from the High King of Tara in 500 AD. The stone, called Lia Fáil (Stone of Destiny), was loaned to his great-uncle for his coronation in Scotland because northeast Ulster was part of that kingdom at the time. Shortly after the coronation, the new king died in a storm off the Antrim coast and the stone was never returned to Ireland.

Myths say the stone had been transported to Ireland by the Tuatha Dé Danann in 580 BC from Jerusalem. The stone was said to have been the stone upon which Jacob rested when he had a vision from Heaven.

Columbus Shamrock Club Elects New Officers
On a more local note, while neither Ireland nor the United States have chosen to crown kings or queens, we do elect from among the people our leaders. In May we celebrate this tradition with the installation of new officers at the Shamrock Club of Columbus. We welcome Nancy Murphy as President, Megan Dempsey as Vice-President, and Patrick Conley as Secretary. Other board members had not yet been elected as of this writing.

This wraps up a busy spring in Central Ohio. A successful St. Patrick’s Day season included Lenten fish fries hosted by the police and fire Emerald Society, and Easter was celebrated with an egg hunt organized by the Daughters of Erin.  Rounding out the month was the third annual Freedom for All Ireland road bowling event sponsored by the Patrick Pearse Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians.

If you are looking for a pint and song, check out our website at www.theshamrockclubofcolumbus.com. We know no strangers, only friends we have yet to meet.

*Andrew is a Columbus transplant after graduating from The Ohio State University with a Major in History and Minor in Political Science and Folklore. He is a past president of the Shamrock Club and a lover of a good story and a pint. You can contact him at [email protected].

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