A Pilgrim’s Progress to local hill brings its joy

Country Living with Frances Farragher

It’s quite amazing how the places of pilgrimage, both big and small, continue to survive and even thrive, despite all the theories that we’re increasingly becoming a Godless people.

Last week on a gloriously clear evening of August 20, the trip was made to the slopes of Knockroe Hill in Abbeyknockmoy where the Feast Day of St. Bernard is celebrated and the waters from the local well are imbibed to reputedly strengthen our resistance to all ailments of mind and body for the coming year.

Knockroe Hill might only be about 550 feet above sea level but on a clear evening it provides the most stunning views of large tracts of Mayo, Galway and Clare and on St. Bernard’s Day last week as the fading shafts of evening sunlight bathed the Maam Valley, it seemed as if a decent hop, step and jump could land you into the heart of Connemara.

A fine crowd of people populated the southern slope of the hill for the annual Mass celebration and after a dry summer the truth of the local lore about the well never running dry was put to the test.

Sure enough the water bubbled up as normal and was drank by the gallon before some of the pilgrims made their way downhill to sample the more colourful liquids of the local village taverns. All curative in their own different ways if consumed in moderate measure.

No one quite seems to know why St. Bernard is the patron saint of Abbeyknockmoy, given that this man of the cloth lived in the French region of Burgundy and in all probability never poked a toe into Irish soil, not to mind the turf of the North Galway village.

Of course with typically Irish creativity, a story has been put in place to make up for any historical absence of evidence. St. Bernard reputedly held up his staff in Burgundy before uttering the immortal words: “Where this staff rises, there will be my well.”

Legend has it that he promptly stuck his staff into the French soil and sure enough – you’ve guessed it – it rose shortly after, on the side of Knockroe Hill, with the waters gushing forth from the opening in the ground.

It’s a decent enough story, but probably more factually, St. Bernard was a key man in the early Cistercian Order that established a famous monastery now known as ‘The Old Abbey’ on the banks of the Abbert river, under the northern snout of Knockroe Hill.

That Abbey dates back to 1189 and was established by one Cathal Mór Craobhdearg O’Connor – High King of Connacht – who possibly might have won a couple of skirmishes on the slopes of Knockroe, probably the equivalent of modern day county final successes.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.