19Piers, Henry. A Chorographical Description of the County of West-Meath. Written A.D. 1682. Tara, Co. Meath, Ireland: Meath Archaeological and Historical Society, 1981. 63-4.
The full text of Piers' discussion of the anchorite: "The religious person at his entry maketh a vow never to go out of his doors all his life after, and accordingly here he remains pent up all his days, every day he saith Mass in his chapel, which is also a part of, nay almost all his dweliing-house, for there is no more house but a very small castle wherein a tall man can hardly stretch himself at length, if he laid down on the floor, nor is there any passage into the castle but thro' the chapel. He hath servants that attend at his call in an out-house, but none lyeth within the church but himself. He is said by the natives, who hold him in great veneration for his sanctity, every day to dig or rather scrape, for he useth no other tools but his nails, a portion of his grave; being esteemed of so great holiness, as if purity and sanctity were entailed in his cell, he is constantly visited by those of the Romish religion, who aim at being esteemed more devout than the ordinary amongst them; every visitant at his departure leaveth his offering or (as they phrase it) devotion on his altar; but he relieth not on this only for a maintenance, but hath those to bring him in their devotion whose devotions are not so fervent as to invite them to do the office in person; these are called his proctors who range all the counties in Ireland to beg for him whom they call the holy man in the stone: corn, eggs, geese, turkies, hens, sheep, money, and what not; nothing comes amiss, and no where do they fail altogether, but something is had, insomuch that if his proctors deal honestly, nay if he return them but the tenth part of what is given him, he may doubtless fare as well as any priest of them all; the only recreation this poor prisoner is capable of is to walk on his terras built over the cell wherein he lies, if he may be said to walk, who cannot in one line stretch forth his legs four times."