Kells National Schoolhouse

Now private home

“[James] McQuilkin had put away the fighting cocks he had been rearing and had turned away from all the worldly pleasures because he claimed God had cleansed him from all his sins. All three of them, being old-line hyper-calvinistic Presbyterians, thought that such a claim as McQuilkin’s was, to say the least, presumptuous. Jeremiah Meneely was a communicant member of Connor Presbyterian Church but he could not claim such a knowledge of sins forgiven. Nevertheless, conscious of the unsatisfied depths of his yearning soul, he exclaimed, “I would give the world to know my sins forgiven.” Carlisle and the schoolmaster were of the same opinion. Eager to discover more about this amazing matter, Jeremiah Meneely sought out James McQuilkin…

“The place chosen for the meetings was the Old Schoolhouse near Kells and the meetings commenced in September 1857. During the long winter of 1857-1858 every Friday evening, these young men gathered an armful of peat each, and taking their Bibles made their way to the old schoolhouse. There they read and meditated upon the Scriptures of truth and with hearts aflame with a pure first love, poured out their prayers to the God of heaven. The peats made a fire in the schoolhouse grate and warmed their bodies from the winter’s chill, but their prayers brought down unquenchable fire from heaven, which set all Ulster ablaze for God, and warmed with saving rays at least 100,000 souls.”

-Ian Paisley, “The ’59 Revival”

http://ukwells.org/wells/school-house-kells

https://www.revival-library.org/revival_histories/evangelical/1857/ulster_revival_1859.shtml

Featured Image Credit: “The Ulster Revival of 1859 – William H. Harding – Ebook.” Revival Books, revival-books.com/products/the-ulster-revival-of-1859-harding.