Piety, Pleasure & Miraculous Tussocks: Killmackillogue

This sounded an intriguing place – a holy well that in fact might be a lake but which may no longer be there, remembered for its miraculous floating tussocks! We set out to investigate, heading to a remote coastal tip of the Beara Peninsula – Bunaw/Kilmackilloge, just off the R574 from Kenmare to Lauragh.

The drive, and we went via Kenmare and Bonane to first investigate St Feaghna’s Well, was a spectacular one. We were graced with a beautiful day – everywhere so still and clear and the route parallel to the Kenmare river was sensational.

Turning off the R574, not exactly huge in itself, the roads became tinier, steeper and more potholed but the views sublime.

We approached from the east, first looking for the site of another (possible) holy well in the shape of a bullaun stone (KE108-059002):

In rough gorse-covered pasture, on a SW-facing slope, under the tarred surface at the N side of the Lehid-Kilmakilloge road. According to local information, a bowl-shaped hollow, which was always filled with water, was visible in the natural rock before the road was tarred. This hollow was known locally as a holy well. There is a mass-rock (KE108-059001-) c. 10m to the SE on the opposite side of the road.

Archaeological Inventory for County Kerry

It sounds as though it was destroyed when maintaining the road and remained unfound. There was no sign of the Mass Rock either but more stunning views.

Driving, carefully, down towards the little settlement of Bunaw or Kilmackilloge, we parked in a layby and set off to investigate the phenomenon of the blessed lake cum holy well.

Lough Mochionlane seems to be the proper name of this curious lake, and it is commonly called Loch Cuinlann. O Donovan in his Kerry Letters writes the name in this way, and says it means the lake of St Mikilloge, or St Killian, whose ancient church stands in ruins in the vicinity.

Rev Daniel O Donaghue, quoted in Joseph Bigger’s article for the Royal Society of Antiquaries for Ireland, 1898

In 1904 Hubert Thomas Knox referred to it as Lough Keeraun and had this information:

Lough Kerraun is a small bog lake, now filled with water weeds and the growth of bog, about 400 yards west of Temple Som or Temple na Lickeen, and north of the road from Bondla to Bellavari in the detached part of the parish of Killdacommoge, and is remarkable as an object of reverence, like a holy well. Even now a great concourse of people make stations at it on Garland Sunday. Its reputation was still greater formerly. There is some doubt as to the meaning of its name which might be Ciaran’s Lake or Mountain Ash Lake. it is probably the former as these objects of pagan worship were usually Christianised by affixing a saint’s name.

Hubert Thomas Knox, Notes on the Early History of Tuam, Killalla & Achonry, 1904

On the 6in Cassini historic map a well (site of) is clearly marked south east of Lake Mackeenlaun (yet another variation of the name) which is visible as an oval shaped feature. On the 25 inch historic map, the area of the well is marked as Cell (site of) and the lake is still visible.

On the current OS Discovery series map (84), the lake has vanished. From further research, it seems that the holy well was in fact the entire lake and has always been regarded as such, famed for its health-giving qualities and for its miraculous moving tussocks! I am relying heavily on Francis Joseph Bigger’s article published in the Journal of  the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland in 1898. In this he gives an account of a visit by a priest in 1754 who described the unusual phenomenon:

Loch Macinlane ie the lake of St Matalogus  … is very remarkable for its pilgrimages and devotions, especially on the Patron days, in the said parish of Tuosist, and several pieces or parcels of the bank of the said loch, to the size of a large sheaf of wheat … separate themselves from said banks, generally to the number of six, seven or nine, which, without either storm, flood or wind, go in motion, sailing from side to the other … they are called by the inhabitants of said place Tussocks … It is certain that a good many sick people own to having improved in their healths at the loch, where the emotions of said tussocks are said by many, beside the natives of that county, to be miraculous; but the secret thereof I cannot presume to define.

Joseph Bigger, The Lake and Church at Kilmakilloge, The Ancient Church, Holy Well and Bullán Stone of Temple Feaghna and the Holy Well and Shrine at St Finan’s, County Kerry, Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, 1898

So it was the strange tussocks that seemed to move by themselves that provided the fascination and power of the place. Miracles were directly attributed to them and bad luck befell anyone who doubted the potency of the site. The priest described how a soldier threw his spear into one of the tussocks and made it limp, the foolish man being found drowned a few days later. The power of the water remained, and nearly 200 years later a rather garbled account in the Schools’ Folklore Collection (183/184:0462) described how when water was taken from the lake to be used in Lord Lansdowne’s spraying machine nothing worked properly until another water source was found.

During the 1850s, another clergyman, Rev Daniel O Donaghue of Ardfert, visited the lake  and offered his own observations:

On the day of my visit I counted five of those on the side of the lake adjoining the hermitage, the ruins of which remain on rising ground beside the lake.Those tussachs I saw were of various sizes, and apparently of various ages and stages of growth, some clinging closely to the border of the water, some partly afloat and detached, but one, the largest of them, about 4ft long and 3ft wide, was quite detached from the bank, and afloat on the water … they spring from the bank of the lake, which is a mass of reeds, sedges and peat, overhanging the water, and from which many fibrous gnarled roots spring into the mud below. From the edges of these banks the tussachs have their birth. They gradually increase in size, until they, by their weight and the actions of the wind on the reeds growing upon them are detached and get afloat on the lake where they float for years, moving about occasionally, until in the course of gradual decay, they lose their buoyancy and sink to the bottom…

Joseph Bigger, ibid

By the time Bigger visited in the late 1890s, the lake was still holding a fascination though it was  shrinking in size:

The lake itself is a poor, swampy looking place in the middle of soft turfy ground, with the site, now scarcely visible, of an ancient cloghaun or hermitage on the east side. Around the edges of the lake are hummocks of grass, which it is said move about the water in a miraculous way, for what reason I failed to discover.

Could there be anything remaining of the lake today and is it still revered? The site is approached through a farm gate and there are no indications that there is anything special ahead. To the left is a boggy, damp area now full of sallies and bracken, all that remains of the lake.

There are a few streams emerging from within but sadly no signs of any floating tussocks unless they have all joined up.

A little beyond the lake is a strange grassy knoll, all that remains of what is described as a hermitage.

Once there was a structure on top, recorded in 1871 as :

… the ruin of a small building, measuring 121/2 by 9 feet [3.81m x 2.74m], evidently a hermit’s cell, which doubtless had some connection with the old church of Kilmakilloge  not far off.

Archaeological Inventory for County Kerry

On closer inspection a few jumbled stones are still discernible amongst the thick undergrowth on the summit. Lower down at the base of the mound are two stones, each inscribed with crosses – a smaller stone resting on each, evidence that the site has long been used as a place of pilgrimage and is still active.

It’s hard to imagine but once this site attracted a large and lively pattern, held in honour of the patron saint of the area, St Kilian. It was a three day affair based around his feast day the 8th July. Bigger visited in the late 1890s and described the goings on somewhat sniffily:

The ancient church of Kilmakillogue stands on a rocky eminence a little north of Bunaw ….

From the old church a short walk south to a hollow swamp beside the rocky knoll brought me to the holy lake of St Mochionlane, and here was a great concourse of people, though not so many, I was informed, as on the previous day, the first of the Patron. I heard there had been some fun the first day, and a little fighting, but I was too late for this,and saw none, and no evidence of any save one lad who was being taken to Kenmare on a cart with a very badly smashed face and head … The approach to the lake was lined with beggars who freely offered their prayers for a small gratuit , and seemed to understand that the visitor would derive no benefit until he parted with some of the current coin of the realm as some sort of offering. I saw very few men at their devotions, but many women and girls travelling around the lake and kneeling on its margins and bathing different portions of their bodies in the water. The adjoining rocky knoll was much used for going around, some on their feet, others on their knees using Rosaries.

At one side, they stopped and knelt, facing the summit in front of them, some poor creatures: women, girls and children, were extended, as if dead or sleeping, with sores and diseased portions of their bodies displayed in the glaring sunlight, a pitiable sight to see. At this place Mass was formerly said. From the Holy Lake I turned to Bunaw; now Bunaw is a very small place consisting of a harbour, and a public house.

The latter was the landing place for numerous boats crossing the river from different place, affording a very picturesque sight – the towering mountains and the glistening water, with the long boats, crowded with occupants bent on piety or pleasure, or a mixture of both.

The public house, owned by an O Sullivan, had great booths thrown out on every hand, and still seemed unequal to supply the pressing demands for porter. This hostelry was the centre for the Patron, for every one I saw at the holy water, I saw ten drinking porter. Along the road were lines of tents with oranges, lemonade, gingerbread and religious articles , with hundreds of people moving about amongst them until the music was started and the dancing commenced.There were also numerous games of chance, thimbleriggery, roulette and card tricks. Many people were drunk, and there was a good deal of foolering and indiscriminate courting. I was not favourably impressed with a Kerry Patron …

Joseph Bigger, ibid

This pattern seems to have managed to escape the disapproval of the Catholic Church and continued in a lively manner unlike many others that were banned. It had all the usual requirements of a good pattern: extreme piety, drink, riotousness and a good faction fight to end with! I particularly like the thought of indiscriminate courting! The delightful black and white photograph is from 1913 when proceeding must have eventually become a little more decorous as they dance in their Sunday best down at the quay.

The image below shows the sheer number of people arriving to take part, horses and carts as part as the eye can see, also dating from 1913.

The Irish Tourist Association Topographical and General Survey (ITA) for Kerry,1942-45, records the astonishing fact that 40,000 people attended the pattern in 1938!

The pattern has survived into the 21st century and continues to be a meaningful event in the community calendar, well attended with a mixture of the religious and secular. Today proceedings start up at the church where an open air mass is said in the evening; there’s an altar especially for the purpose in the graveyard. You can approach the church either from the car park or there is a very pleasant boreen that leads you to the graveyard.

Rounds are then paid including visits to what is known as the saint’s stone – a large horizontal stone in the graveyard upon which pilgrims have inscribed a cross. Rounds continue down to the lake site and pilgrims proceed five times clockwise around the knoll of the oratory, saying prayers as they go.

Mary O Neill kindly sent some images of a recent pattern day, the stone still very much in use.

Then, as there has always been, there is fun and amusement to be had down by the pub and the harbour.

In 2013 the Irish Times sent Rosita Boland down to investigate (if you have not read her excellent book, Elsewhere, do) and she recorded the event in: Pattern Mass: centuries-old tradition carved in stone.  She was lucky enough to speak to the unofficial custodian of the well, Eoin Dowling, who recounted some of his memories:

Eoin Dowling is 85 years old and he is the unofficial custodian of the pattern sites, as both the mound and what remains of the lake are on his land. In his farmhouse after the pattern Mass, over ham and tomatoes, he recalls his earliest memories of the stories he heard about doing a pattern of the lake. He remembers when the lake was the ‘size of quarter of an acre’. Now, it is the size of his small kitchen. ‘I used to hear about the woman who was blind, and her husband took her to the lake to the do the rounds. And didn’t she get her sight back, and what she saw first was a priest,’ he says. ‘My mother told me her mother told her that horses and carts used to be lined up near the field on pattern day. You’d be coming a long way, if you had a horse and cart. That was long before cars. They didn’t come for nothing. It’s hard to explain what brought people. Maybe they thought they’d be cured of something. They do the pattern because it’s tradition.

Irish Times, 13 July, 2013

The photographer Frank Miller visually recorded the day: A Pattern Mass in Kerry sunshine

This wonderfully lively description of the pattern day is by Bergie O Sullivan who grew up in the Bar and will be 100 this year (2024). May thanks to Mary O Neill for forwarding it to me:

The Pattern

The Pattern was the biggest social event of the year. It took place on the 7 and 8 July, the feast of St Kilian, a saint in the Middle Ages who left Kilmakilloge harbour and travelled to Germany, where as a bishop he was martyred for his faith. It was traditional for people to do the Rounds at this time of year and also at Easter. This custom involved walking clockwise along a specified track adjacent to the lake known as Loch Ui Choinleain and reciting a set number of prayers as they made the round. Each round began and ended at a rock at which people knelt and prayed. Some of the more devout pilgrims did the rounds in their bare feet.

Beannaim duit a Chaoinleain Naofa, 

Beannaionn Muire duit is beannaim fein tu, 

Is chugat a thanas ag gearan mo sceala.

Ag iarraidh comhairle a chur, ar son De, orm.

The name Loch Ui Choinleain is said to be an Irish derivation of Kilian or Quinlan. I cannot say how far back this custom dates, but by the early 1930s and probably long before this, the celebrations surrounding this feast had developed into the major social event of the year. As the celebrations centred in and around the pub, it was a very busy time in our household. As the time approached, extra supplies of food and drink would be ordered. My mother would be busy organising the house and shop for the upcoming event. An exemption was always granted for the night of the seventh. Three bars were set up for this night; one in the kitchen, one in the shop and, of course, the normal bar. This meant that all the goods from the shop had to be moved in the previous days and stored in the dairy. An outside building would be cleared out and prepared as a dance hall. When my siblings and I were deemed too young to be part of the hustle and bustle, we were usually sent to relatives in Kenmare who would take care of us for a few days. In the days before The Pattern, people would arrive from as far away as Kanturk and Cork. Stalls would be set up on the road outside, some selling apples, oranges, gooseberries and plums. Other stalls would sell tickets for the Wheel of Fortune, the prizes consisting of ornaments and other fancy items. Rings were thrown and the three card trick was played. Dancing to the music of the melodeon continued to the early hours of the morning.

What a wonderful occasion it sounds.

St Kilian

And here’s an interesting twist to the tale concerning St Kilian, the patron saint, (incidentally spelled in a bewildering variety of ways some of them seemingly unrelated: Cilline, Céle, Ceallan, Ceallach, Ceallachán, Caoinleán: the diminutive/pet name of which seems to be Mocheallóg. Kilian is the anglicised form.) He is also referred to as St Kilian of Wurzburg and as an Apostle of Franconia so what is going on here? Well according to the Dictionary of Irish Saints, there are six men with the name Kilian and their stories seem to get remarkably confused, related and overlapped. Could this be a possible scenario: St Kilian was born in Mullagh, County Cavan in 640 AD (where there is a holy well dedicated to him and his feast day is still celebrated on the 8th July. Ali Isaac has written a great post about this site). As a young man he was sent to Rosscarbery in County Cork to receive his religious education. Later he founded some sort of religious establishment here in Kilmakilloge and it was from this harbour that he set sail with 11 companions in around 686 AD, on a mission to converts souls on the continent. He travelled up the Rhine and the Main rivers and eventually arrived at Wurzburg. Here he set about converting the pagans including Duke Gosbert. Before the Duke could be baptised, Kilian insisted he give up his wife, Geliana, who was the Duke’s dead brother’s widow. She was less than thrilled and ordered that Kilian be killed. Kilian and his two companions, Colmán and Totana, were beheaded whilst at prayer and secretly buried. Their whereabouts were only discovered after there was a public fast. The relics of the three men, their heads, were encased in a beautiful reliquary of cut rock crystal, their skulls studied with precious jewels, which became an object of devotion.

It still is and every year, on the 8th July, the reliquary is solemnly brought up from the crypt in Wurzburg Cathedral and processed through the streets, ending back in the cathedral where it is displayed during the two week Kiliani-Volkfest dedicated to the saint. In 2019 the Irish President Michael D Higgins joined in the festivities and although pilgrims from Germany frequently visit Mullagh in Cavan, and vice versa, I wonder how many people, apart from locals, know the strange story of St Kilian.

An afternoon of marvels completed by a truly marvellous journey home. This was the view at the start of the Healy Pass.

The location of this well can be found in the Gazetteer.

Thanks to Finola Finlay for her translating skills. Many thanks to Mary O Neill for her additional information and photographs.