| Holy Wells
© St Ita's Well
St Ita's Well is in the graveyard in Killeedy. The well is 18 inches
in diameter and 3 feet in depth. When we visited it, the well was dry,
but there is water in the well at different times of the year. The rounds
are made on January 15th and the well is believed to cure smallpox. Flowers
often surround the well. Legend has it that St Ita asked for a drink here
and was given lukewarm water. She threw this water on the ground and a
well sprung up. It is said that you cannot boil the water.
Danaher mentions a well in the townland of Ballyshane called Banavaun
well. Banbhán was a man's name but there is no tradition of this
name in the area. Danaher was known to be a saint but his feastday is
forgotten. The water from the well was believed to cure lameness and blindness.
Mass Rock
© Killeedy Mass Rock
There is a mass rock overlooking the village of Ashford. A spectacular
view of the surrounding countryside can be seen from the Mass Rock, and
to the north, the Shannon is visible. This mass rock served the people
of the area during the restriction of the penal laws. In the 1960s Muintir
na Tire cleaned up the area and a shrine was erected at the mass rock.
In 1979, to commemorate the Pope's visit, a cross was erected on the roadside,
just above the entrance to the mass rock.
The entrance to the mass rock is down a steep decline from the road.
A plaque was erected to commemorate the memory of the "priests and
people who at the risk of their lives offered Holy Mass here". A
priest who had a price on his head, Fr Tadhg O'Sullivan was captured here
in 1716. It is unclear whether he was killed or escaped.
In the early 1840s, a man by the name of Johnny "Gabharainn Reo"
was on his way home late one night when he saw a glow of light. He saw
a lady with golden hair sitting on a rock with her back to him. She looked
at Johnny with a piercing stare. In his panic, Johnny ran home fearing
for his life from his encounter with the "White Lady of the Rock".
At one side of the altar there is believed to be a special tree that
retains its leaves. It is also claimed that anyone who tampers with the
tree will regret it. Recently the tree had to be partially cut down due
to safety reasons.
There was also a Mass Path in the area called Cobbs Road that was used
in the past for people to walk to mass. It is now part of the walk that
winds through the Mullaghareirk Mountains, which travels from Glenquin
to Broadford.
Across the road from the mass Rock there is a monument, which bears the
inscription 'In commemoration of the visit of Pope John Paul II, September
29th to October 1st 1979'.
© Monument commemorating Pope's visit
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