Celebrating the Feast of St. James and the Camino de Santiago
On July 25, Pearse Lyons Distillery will celebrate the feast day of St. James, the Apostle, which is celebrated on the liturgical calendars of the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran and certain Protestant churches. This date is also significant for the distillery, as it was July 25, 2017, when the official ribbon was cut by owners and founders, Pearse and Deirdre Lyons.
Links between Dublin and the iconic Camino de Santiago
The links between this ancient part of Dublin and St. James, the Apostle span more than 800 years. Manuscripts dating back to the thirteenth century report the establishment of a hospital for pilgrims who intended to travel to the shrine of St. James at Santiago de Compostela. In medieval times, the journey from Dublin traditionally started near St. James’s Gate an established Hiberno-Spanish trading route. Maps of the city from medieval times show that just inside the westerly gate of the city was the parish of St. Catherine; outside the gate is the parish of St. James.
The first Church of St. James’s was built in the Liberties in 1196, which is today the Pearse Lyons Distillery. The connection with this ancient pilgrimage is embraced in the beautiful stained-glass window over the choir balcony inside the newly refurbished distillery.
Dublin traditions on the Feast of St. James
One long forgotten tradition in the Liberties, Dublin, was to decorate the headstones with white paper decorations. This day was known was Pattern Sunday. A pattern (Irish: pátrún) refers to the devotions that take place within a parish on the feast day of the patron saint of the parish. To celebrate the Feast of St. James, headstones in the surrounding graveyard will be decorated in white paper patterns from July 25 to 29, 2018.
All visitors to the distillery on July 25, will have the opportunity to see a special exhibition of imagery taken upon the Camino by pilgrims upon their journey to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. Within the body of the former church, the Pilgrims Book, will be on view, where visitors can see the hundreds of names inscribed upon this historic document, which belongs to The Camino Society of Ireland. Guests will also be offered a Camino Passport, with their first stamp from Pearse Lyons Distillery.
Upon completion of the tour, visitors will then be invited to join in a small toast to Pearse Lyons, owner and founder of the distillery. July 25 signifies not only the Feast of St. James but the rejuvenation of the former church and its new beginnings as a working distillery in the Liberties, Dublin.
General admission tickets can be purchased here. The Feast of St. James celebrations are incorporated into our general admission tickets. Tickets are priced at €20/€24 per person and kids under the age of 10 go free. For more information, please contact us on +353 (0) 1 6916000 or email info@pearselyonsdistillery.com
