Almost every parish in Ireland has its holy well, with specific healing properties and a “pattern day” (Patron Day), where Mass is said and pilgrims perform rituals by the well. In the Keadue area one of these is St. Lassair’s Well in the parish of Kilronan.

St Lasair’s Well is a place of pilgrimage where huge numbers of pilgrims gather for the annual Patron each September. There we have the special Mass and prayers for all the dead. Many come to drink the sparkling water from the holy well, try to ease aching backs by crawling under the old altar stone and maybe “do” the special pilgrim stations.

St Lassairs grave is on the hill above the well. Over the centuries emigrants from Ireland brought St. Lassair’s clay with them to the U.S.A., Canada, Australia etc. to bring blessings on them in their new life in a strange land.

There are also a number of stations where pilgrims would stand and pray whilst doing their rounds. One of the stations is a large slab mounted on four stone pillars, known as leac Ronain or St Ronan’s Altar. This was used as a mass rock and it is believed the pilgrims would come to drink the sparkling water from the holy well and try to ease aching backs by crawling under the altar stone three times.

The location for the well is:

Longitude: 8° 9′ 24″ W
Latitude: 54° 3′ 34″ N