- Clonenagh Monastic Site near Mountrath preserves the ruins of an important 6th-century monastery founded by St Fintan (Fintan of Clonenagh), a hermit and abbot renowned for his austere life and strict penitential rule. The site includes church remnants, cross slabs, and a sacred ash tree (St Fintan’s Tree) that miraculously regrew after storm damage, echoing pre-Christian tree worship. Pilgrims visit for reflection on the saint’s legacy of monastic discipline and sanctity.
- St Fintan’s Holy Well at Clonenagh (originally associated with the monastery but later covered) and related wells in the area honour the saint, with traditions of curative waters for healing. These springs continue ancient hydrolatry customs adapted to Christian veneration, drawing quiet devotees to the rural setting near Mountrath.
- Ladywell (Tobar Mhuire) near Durrow features a holy well dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, with a shrine, statue, labyrinth path for rounds, and a rag tree adorned with cloths and offerings. The exposed, windswept site invites pilgrimage for prayer and penance, preserving pre-Christian water and tree reverence overlaid with Marian devotion.
- St Fintan’s Well at Durrow, near the River Erkina, is another dedication to the saint, situated close to historic bridges and local landmarks. It attracts visitors seeking blessings, with rituals rooted in longstanding beliefs in the spring’s powers, blending saintly intercession with older sacred water traditions.
- St Longory’s Holy Well at Kilgory, in the southeastern corner near the Kilkenny border, lies in a tranquil, bucolic spot with a roadside spring long venerated for healing. The serene location makes it a peaceful place of pilgrimage, whether for secular contemplation or religious devotion, echoing pre-Christian spring cults.
- St Kavan’s Well at Annatrim features a freshwater spring beside a “saint’s stone,” tied to early Christian figures and local lore. This modest site draws those honouring obscure saints, with customs of prayer and water use preserving ancient reverence for natural features.
County Laois:
Ireland’s county Laois offers a serene blend of historic sites and natural landscapes, with the Rock of Dunamase providing panoramic views from its ancient castle ruins. Emo Court’s elegant Georgian mansion and gardens offer a peaceful retreat, while the Slieve Bloom Mountains provide hiking trails through rolling hills. Laois is Ireland’s ninth smallest county by size (1,719 square km) and tenth smallest by population (91,877). Population peaked at 153,930 in 1841 and reached its lowest point, 44,595 in 1966. In terms of hospitality, Laois is Ireland’s 27th most visited tourist county with around 52,000 international visitors per year.
Introduction – Adventure – Anthem – Archaeology – Attractions – Awards – Birdwatching – Camping – Castles – Churches – Contact list – Cycling – Dining – Equestrian – Festivals – Fishing – Folklore – Gardens – Golf – Graveyards – Happening – Haunted – Highest – Hiking – History – Holy Wells – Hotels – Hotels8 – Instagrammable – Itineraries – Largest town – Luxury – MICE – Movies – Musicians – Name – New – Novelists – Off the beaten track – Poets – Pubs – Quotes – Random Facts – Restaurant Awards – Sacred Places – Saints – Spas – Sports – Sunsets– Sustainable – Things to do – Towns – Video – Villages – Walking – Wanderlist – Weddings – Wild swimming – Writers – 1837 – 1846 – 1852 – 1909 – 1955 – 1980 –
Sacred Places
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow
