Holy Island trip

Transition Year Pilgrimage to Holy Island

On the 4th of October the transition year class went for a pilgrimage to Holy Island with Fr.Donagh O’Meara, Mrs Condren Ger Madden and Patricia Long.  When we arrived local historian Ger Madden brought us out to Holy Island on his boat.

When we got to the island we blessed ourselves with holy water and said a short prayer which was the first of five the idea of the trip was to stop at significant parts of the island and say different prayers .

We first walked up to the round tower and Ger began to tell us the history of the island. Now uninhabited Holy Island was once a monastic settlement. There are seven churches on the island, a wishing well, a bargaining stone and part of four high crosses. We went around to many historical places including St. Caimín’s church.

We entered the different graveyards and we had a moment of silence to say our own prayer to a family member who has passed away or for someone who may be unwell. We heard some old stories about the Island including that it was four thousand years old and hundreds of years ago there was as many as a few thousand people living on the Island.

There were the ruins of seven churches on the Island and there is a myth about one of them which is called the Church of the Wounded Men, and if women stepped into the church they would not be able to have children. It was because a certain family built the church and within a few decades of the church being finished all the male heirs had died.

Then we went down to visit the Holy Well but there was no water in it but there is a legend that if you complete a pilgrimage around the island seven times and if you look in the well and if you could see your reflection in the water you’re sins were forgiven.

The Island was very wet and muddy in parts and it was raining. Although everyone got soaked, but it was a very enjoyable day and we thank Fr.Donagh O’Meara, Geraldine Condren, Patricia Long, Ger Madden and Ogie Minogue for making the day possible.