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OUR LADY'S WELL
The tradition is that Our Lady appeared to
a wounded soldier in this place on August 15th 1249
after the Battle of Athenry. It is also very likely
that the new Priory built in Athenry by the Dominicans
in 1241 promoted the Marian devotion.
Lady’s Well is a popular place of prayer and
devotion throughout the year and the main pilgrimage
takes place on August 15th. A large gathering comes
together from the whole area on that day each year it
is a gathering time for families and relatives from
abroad and also muintir na Gaeltacht.
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In 1932, the year of the Eucharistic Congress, the
Calvary was erected and in 1954, the Marian Year, the
Grotto was put in place at the Well. The celebration
of Mass as part of the pilgrimage began in 1972.
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The date for the Marian apparition at Lady Well Athenry is generally given as 15th
August 1249. We do not have any formal written documentation to substantiate this
claim. What we have is this. Firstly the very ancient tradition that the miraculous event
took place on the 15th August after “The Battle of Athenry” and secondly, an ancient
account in the Annals of Iar Connacht that a major battle took place in Athenry on 15th
August 1249. This battle is not to be confused with the later and more famous battle of
Athenry which was fought on 10th August 1316.
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The Annals record that the Normans,
within the town, beseeched the attacking Irish not to dishonour the feast by attacking on
that day. The Irish did attack and were defeated. Tradition preserves for us the legend
that Our Lady appeared to some of the defeated soldiers as they were retreating from
the battle. We can be quite certain that the promotion of Marian devotion would have
been a very important priority for the New Dominican order whose Priory had just been
built in the town (1241) since their founder St. Dominic (1170 1221), was a great
apostle of the Rosary. Given these facts, there seems little reason to doubt the
authenticity of the tradition of the apparition. |
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At least two monuments at the well date
from medieval times. While we cannot be certain
that the well was the original location for either of
these, the fact that they have been located at the
well for at least three centuries shows a continuity
of the tradition honouring this location as a place of
prayer.
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The Celtic Pieta which at present is set in
the outer wall of the well dates from the 14th
century. Until the recent renovations it was placed
in the inner corner where the statue now stands. It
is quite unlike the continental pieta in style as the
mother holds the body of the dead Christ not
cradled in her arms but in an almost upright
position and tradition suggests that it was defaced
by soldiers during the Cromwellian Wars. |
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The “Headache Stone”, or the large rectangular stone with the cavity in the
centre was a socket for a medieval cross. There is a very strong tradition of personal
healing associated with this stone.
The Well has been a major centre of pilgrimage for generations. In the last
century it was a place of pilgrimage for people from all over South Connemara, Who
came in thousands on 15th August. While devotion to the place weaned somewhat in
the 1950’s and 1960’s it was always a place of prayer for the people of Athenry and in
recent years is again growing greatly in popularity.
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It is a place of private prayer for the people of the district throughout the year an
especially around the time of Lady Day. In recent years that practise of having public
prayers at the Well on a specific day each month has grown. Public Prayers are recited
at the Well on the following days to correspond with the feasts of Our Lady. |
| August 7th - 15th |
Nine Day Novena |
| September 8th |
Feast of Our Lady’s Birthday |
| October 7th |
Feast of Our lady of the Rosary |
| November 21st |
Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed
Virgin |
| December 8th |
Feast of the immaculate Conception |
| January 1st |
Feast of Mary mother of God |
| February 2nd |
Feast of the Presentation |
| March 25th |
Feast of the Annunciation |
| April 30th |
Feast of Our Lady of Africa |
| May 31st |
Feast of the Visitation |
| June 8th |
Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
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| July 8th |
Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel |
The public prayers are either on the eve of the feast, or on the
Feast Day. The Parish Newsletter of the Previous week gives
the time each month. Normally during the summer the time is
9:00pm and an earlier time during the winter.
By Monsie Kennedy
More pictures
from Lady's Well
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