Legend says St Patrick came up the Lagan but of course there
are so many legends surrounding the man. There is no way of
knowing if he did come to Moira, though some believe he founded
a church in nearby Glenavy.
We
have already learned about thousands of visitors to Moira
in 637 AD when the famous battle was fought. Domhnall the
High King went back home to Tara as a victor.
But
4 centuries later Moira had another "royal" visit.
Murtagh McNeill wrote a poem called "The Circuit of Ireland".
He traced the progress of the King of Aileck through Ulster
in the 10th century and listed the places where he stayed
the night and the list includes Moira. So a King slept here
in our village 1,000 years ago! (Craigavon
Historical Soc. Vol 2 no1)
The
Moira area was visited by a number of well known preachers.
George Whitfield preached in Lisburn, the Maze and Lurgan
in July 1751 but we don't know if he stopped on his journey
to preach in Moira.
In July 1756 John Wesley paid his first of many visits to
Ulster and during this visit he came to Moira. Anne Lutton
wrote "One day in the year 1756, the Earl of Moira sent
a servant to the clergyman to request the key of the Church,
so that the Rev. John Wesley might preach to the people. The
clergyman declined in giving the key. ... The Earl was greatly
annoyed at the Rector's refusal, but determined that nothing
should prevent Mr. Wesley from preaching; so he sent the bellman
through the town, to summon all the people to the lawn before
the Castle, and Mr. Wesley stood on the top of a long flight
of steps before the grand entrance hall and preached to the
people". (Memorials of a Consecrated life”
by Anne Lutton. Pub. 1882)
Digital composite image
"In
1760 Moira was visited again by Wesley. He was apparently
a guest of the family at Moira House and describes the occasion
in his journal:
Thursday 1st May 1760.
"I rode to Moira. Soon after twelve, standing on a tombstone
near the Church, I called a considerable number of people
to 'know God and Jesus Christ whom He had sent'. We were just
opposite to the Earl of Moira's house, the best furnished
of any I have seen in Ireland. It stands on a hill with a
large avenue in front, bounded by the Church on the opposite
hill. The other three sides are covered with orchards, gardens
and woods, in which are walks of various kinds".
In Journal No.XII, Wesley writes of a third visit just over
a week later on Monday, May 12th, 1760; “I preached
to a very civil congregation but there is no life in them”.
Wesley
was in the area on several occasions during the following
years but there is no record of ever again preaching in Moira.
He passed this way on 26th June 1762 and 14th June 1773 en-route
between Lisburn and Lurgan. On 6th July 1771 he “spent
two hours very agreeably in Mayra” on his journey between
Ballinderry and Newry. He reamined a very good friend of Lord
Moira and his wife Elizabeth and often visitedin their home
in Dublin.
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