A woodland holy well near Lough Gill where a natural spring, a Mass Rock said to bear St Patrick's fingerprints, and candle-lit shrines have drawn pilgrims since early Christian times.
The natural spring issues from beneath a cliff in a wooded grove and flows towards Lough Gill. Pilgrims drink the water or collect it in bottles, believing it can heal body and spirit; bring a bottle if you want to take some home.
The Mass Rock is the heart of the site, used for secret Masses in penal times. Tradition says fingerprints on the altar stone are St Patrick's: place your hand in them and your prayers may be answered, while easing your back into the stone's curve is said to relieve back ailments.
A life-size crucifixion scene stands at the centre of the grounds, and small white crosses through the woods mark the Stations of the Cross for quiet prayer walks.
Shrines to St Anne, Our Lady of Lourdes and others dot the grounds, adorned with candles and flowers. Rosary stones representing each of the twenty mysteries are laid out around the site.
The last weekend of July brings the annual Garland Sunday celebrations (24-26 July 2026, theme 'Hope'), with dawn Mass at 6am and further Masses through the morning at the Mass Rock.
A newer shrine honours Carlo Acutis, the tech-loving teenager canonised in 2025, adding a modern focus for younger visitors.
An old pagan custom turned Christian: visitors tear a strip of cloth or tie a religious medal on the tree for a sick friend or relative, leaving the intention with the well.
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