School: St Egney's (C.), Buncrana
- Location:
- Buncrana, Co. Donegal
- Teacher: Ellen Daly
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1112, Page 387
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- A holy well at Mamore Gap
The well at Mamore Gap, 700' above sea level that Gap in the Uris mountains that separates Desertegney from Uris, is situated in the townland of Uris Mana. It is a small well in the midst of rocks a few yards from the Gap road. Long ago, it was the custom for people to go there to make the "turas" from the fifteenth of August, to the eighth of September, and some people still keep up that custom. The turas was composed of going round seven heaps of stones, and saying any prayers you like, and you are saying any prayers you like, and you are supposed to throw a stone into every heap, when you are making the turas. The people take a drink of water in the well, and they say a prayer for the person that made the well, and they also say a prayer for the person that blessed the well. It is not known who blessed the well, nor is it known to what Saint it is dedicated. Still the people always looked upon it as a holy well, and did the turas to it. Some say that St. Egney blessed it (after whom Desertegney is named). Others say that when St. Columba was in sorrow he went to the Gap of Mamore to seek advice from Naom Muirseslac - who had a place of prayer there, and that maybe it was he who blessed the Well.
- Collector
- Annie Mc Laughlin
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Liafin, Co. Donegal
- Informant
- Denis Mc Laughlin
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 47
- Address
- Liafin, Co. Donegal
