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HOLY WELLS OF DONEGAL ~ St. Conall's Well, Bruckless
St. Conall's Holy Well, Bruckless
This Holy Well is named after St. Conall (or Conal) who founded a monastery on Inishkeel, an island off Narin, County Donegal, in the 6th century. It is said he first went to Inishkeel as a punishment for killing his father and found himself exiled there and was ordered to stay there until he calmed down enough for a bird to build a nest in his hand. It took seven years of exile but apparently he did reach that state of calm.
According to some old writing on duchas.ie in earlier times:
“When you are making St. Conaill's station you go round the well three times first and say five Our Father's and five Hail Mary's and the Creed. Then you go down an old lane to another field and you go round the field and say fifteen decades, after that you go round the eleven cairns which are there and say five Our Father's and five Hail Mary's at each of them, then you go round the altar which is in the same field and say five Our Father's and five Hail Mary's there again and then you go to the front of the altar and say prayers and after that you you go up on the altar and put your fingers into the track of St. Conaill's fingers and wish for anything you like.
Also you put your back up against a stone and say prayers, and you leave anything you like on a table at the back of the altar and wish to leave your disease behind you.Then you go up to the bed under a big ledge of a rock and there is a big bank about thirty feet or more down below, you roll over three times in it and you go out on one side and in on the other.”
The nearby Catholic church of St. Joseph and St. Conall is named for him as are various other churches and buildings throughout County Donegal.
According to some old writing on duchas.ie in earlier times:
“When you are making St. Conaill's station you go round the well three times first and say five Our Father's and five Hail Mary's and the Creed. Then you go down an old lane to another field and you go round the field and say fifteen decades, after that you go round the eleven cairns which are there and say five Our Father's and five Hail Mary's at each of them, then you go round the altar which is in the same field and say five Our Father's and five Hail Mary's there again and then you go to the front of the altar and say prayers and after that you you go up on the altar and put your fingers into the track of St. Conaill's fingers and wish for anything you like.
Also you put your back up against a stone and say prayers, and you leave anything you like on a table at the back of the altar and wish to leave your disease behind you.Then you go up to the bed under a big ledge of a rock and there is a big bank about thirty feet or more down below, you roll over three times in it and you go out on one side and in on the other.”
The nearby Catholic church of St. Joseph and St. Conall is named for him as are various other churches and buildings throughout County Donegal.
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DIRECTIONS: After the village of Dunkineely on the road to Killybegs, you will come to a pub on the right 'Mary Murrin's'. Turn off the main road there and follow that road until you come to the Holy Well which will be on your right.
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Viewed from nearby road. PARKING: There is room for a couple of cars beside the Holy Well |