Eurovision legend Dana launches new hymn at St Patrick Centre in tribute to patron saint of Ireland

8 March 2023

EUROVISION winner Dana is set to launch a new song in honour of St Patrick at The Saint Patrick Centre in Downpatrick next week.

Light The Fire, written and recorded by Dana, recalls how St Patrick lit the flame on the hill at Slane in 433AD in defiance of the High King Laoire at Tara.

“It was more than just a fire,” said the Irish music icon. “Patrick was courageous. It could have cost him his life. Those were dark days. They were oppressive. There was human sacrifice.”

“The fire was symbolic of bringing light and bringing an understanding to what was wrong in those days and changing what was wrong from the darkness into light.”

Dana said the inspiration for the song goes back more than a decade when the idea was first suggested to her by her brother-in-law, the late Fr Kevin Scallon.

She recalled: “He said, ‘You know we need a new hymn to St Patrick for today. Because the message of St Patrick is not belonging to a past generation and it’s not just for Ireland. It’s a message for today and for the whole world’.”

Dana paid tribute to The Saint Patrick Centre, particularly its Director, Dr Tim Campbell, for helping to bring the project to fruition.

Dr Campbell said it was a privilege Dana had chosen the centre, site of the world’s only permanent exhibition on St Patrick, to launch the new song next Monday, just before St Patrick’s Day.

“It was here in Downpatrick that St Patrick began his mission,” said Dr Campbell.

“The centre is renowned for telling the authentic story of Patrick, the slave who found true freedom and whose message of love and faith continues to echo down the centuries. The song has a great message of hope and we look forward to sharing it both at home and abroad.”

The song coincides with the relaunch on the same day of a redesigned exhibition at The Saint Patrick Centre.

The exhibition is being relaunched with support from Tourism Ireland, which provided The Saint Patrick Centre with the offer of £200,000 from the Experience Development Programme 2020-21.

Light the Fire has been recorded with male voices from the Schola Cantorum in St Peter’s Cathedral, Belfast, and two singers from the Church of Ireland community in Downpatrick, the Rev Adrian Dorrian, Vicar of the LAMP Group of Parishes, and Mr John McGrath, who is involved with Down Parish Church.

Rev Dorrian said he loved that St Patrick’s own words were part of the song and that his story was getting a “fresh telling”.

He continued: “It’s an exciting story and it’s a story that gets lost around St Patrick’s day sometimes. So I’m really excited to be part of something that just brings it out afresh and in a new way.

“There’s a huge depth to Patrick’s story in terms of his anguish and his pain and his willingness to go through all that to bless others.

“I hope it will bless people. I hope people will hear it and know something of the goodness of God through the story of Patrick.”

Mr McGrath, who is originally from Kenya, said the song was “very Celtic” and “very apt” for the times as Patrick had used his own suffering as a bridge from one group to another.

James McConnell, Director of Music at St Peter’s Cathedral in Belfast, said the Schola Cantorum was delighted to be part of the project.

“It’s a really wonderful song. It’s very moving spiritually. Patrick is the one who brought faith to the island and we owe him a lot,” he remarked.

Musicians involved in the recording include Martin McAllister on guitar, Joanna Doran on violin, Gerry Brown on keyboards and vocals, Martin Og McAllister on double bass and Maria Fox on vocals.

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