| Holy Wells
© St John the Baptist's Well
In the parish of Cratloe there is a Holy Well called St
John the Baptist's well. This well is about ¼ of a mile from the
ruin of Cratloe Moyle castle. Traditionally at the well, rounds consist
of 5 rounds of the well while saying the rosary. The last round of the
well is to be completed while on your bare knees. Various offerings were
left at the well.
The well is rarely visited nowadays and it is believed that the curative
powers of the well are lost. According to local tradition, the owner,
a Mr Frost wanted to improve the well. He got workmen to drain the well
while working on it. The water in the well never really came back.
When we visited the well, the water level was very low and there was
no sign of any offerings left at the well. The well is accessible from
the STS factory. There is a story about a man who cut down one of the
trees at the well. He took the timber to a mill in Limerick to cut it
and he got caught in the machinery and died.
There is also the story about the landowner who wanted to stop people
walking on his land. He tried to empty the well so people would stop visiting
it. He failed and spent the rest of his life being thirsty. The owner's
name is unknown.
There is another well in the townland of Carrowmore called St Michael's
well. The well is named after the Archangel Michael. The well lies in
a rock and the water was believed to cure sore or weak eyes and warts.
If you were looking for a cure, the water was rubbed to the affected area
on three occasions and no water was taken away. Devotions ceased at the
well in the 1940s. We found no evidence of this well in the parish.
There is also believed to have been a Holy Well at Heathmount. It is
remembered locally as having been situated behind Coughlan's old house
and near Kilfintinane Church.
Mass Rocks
There was a mass rock in the townland of Brickhill West and the site
is claimed to be located behind the remains of a house in the briars.
However we did not find this mass rock on our visit to the parish.
There was another mass rock in Heathmount near the Holy Well in the same
townland.
 
|
