We have Garland Sunday every year on the last Sunday in July. On that day the people go to

On Sliab an Iarainn a short distance east of Braveiga stone which was supposed to be the altar of the Druids worship, there is a big hole known as "Polltaí Hole ". Pagan worship was supposed to be carried on at this hole until St Patrick finally put an end to it.Until about twenty five years ago the boys of the district gathered at "Polltaí Hole " on Garland Sunday which is the last Sunday of July. They spent the Sunday throwing stones into the hole and lighting fires in the heather.The following is a story connected with Polltaí Hole. One Garland Sunday when the boys were gathered at Polltaí a strange thing happened.

People say that Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday are very lucky days. They like to change from a house to another house on Friday. Garland Sunday is a very good day for commencing the digging of the potatoes. Long ago the people liked to have the potatoes set before the eleventh of May and to have them moulded the first time before

Sunday people visit the well and make or stations there. They go round the well seven times saying one Our Father and five Hail Marys each time. Long ago a great pattern used to be held there on Garland Sunday, and cripples coming to pray at the well used to leave their crutches after them hoping to be cured. The water of this well is used by the people of the district for household purposes.

Saint Colum Cille is supposed to have visited this well also. In the Penal times when the priests were hunted they used to say mass at this place. There is one day of the year dedicated to Our Lady of this Well, that is the last Sunday of July "Garland Sunday". There is a cure at this well for mental people and so it got its name "Tobernaulth"

or "scíbín". The "scíbín" was of timber with a step for the foot and well pointed and sometimes the pointed end coated with iron to make the points last longer. The potatoes were slitted as now, one eye left in each slit. The remainder of the potato was called "laodhán" and boiled for pigs or hens. After about three weeks they put the manure on the ridges with the donkey or mule and "párdógaí". The manure was well mixed with bog mud (from the top of the bog) and turf-mould.They broke the lumps in the manure very carefully before spreading. The dykes were dug with spades and the clay shovelled up as now. When the stalks were two or three inches high they again dug the dykes and put on the second mould. They never sprayed the potatoes till after the famine and they never had blight until then. When they did begin spraying they put the material on the stalks with "besoms" or heath brooms, and used lime instead of washing soda. They dug the potatoes Garland Sunday - the last Sunday in July and rarely before that. In the late Summer the old potatoes were eaten up or unfit for use so they were in a hurry with Garland Sunday to try the new ones. July was called the

whom no one knew came fifteen days before Garland Sunday as this Sunday is called. She was lodged in the village. The people never seen her tasting any food, she looked very sad. The people used to - be visiting in this house, and they used to be singing and dancing, and when it used to come on her turn to sing she used to say "I cannot I have a cause for it".
It was thought she was praying and fasting, but it was not known for what until Garland Sunday arrived. There was a certain flag called St Cumin's flag where St Cumin was thought to - be buried. They used to turn this flag by prayer and fasting and if they had any spite for their neighbour, and them to turn the flag the curse would fall on their neighbour, so that is what

milk on Good Friday.
On Easter Sunday all people eat a number of eggs. The people wear badges on Easter Sunday.
People dont like to fall or get cut on Whit-Sunday.
All people have lighted candles in their rooms on New-Years Night in honour of the New-Year.
On Garland Sunday people go to Blessed Wells. People go to Croak Patrick on that day All people have Stations at a lot of Blessed Wells on that day. Buses come from places to Blessed-Wells on Garland Sunday.
On st-Martins day every person has a goose or turkey for dinner. People spill the blood of those geese and turkeys in honour of St Martin. All the people make a great feast of that day. No people work mills on St Martins Day.
On Holy Thursday Mass is celebrated in every Catholic Church throughout the world.

TobernaultThere are a few holy wells throughout this locality. The only ones I know are Tobernault, Tober Curran and Dromard. Tober Nault holy well is about three miles from Ballisodare. It is in the parish of Sligo and in the diocese of Elphin.Every year in Garland Sunday people from the locality visit the Holy well. People can visit it any day but Garland Sunday is the day fixed and then there is a kind of Pilgrimage to it.On Garland Sunday Mass is said at eight o'clock. There are stations erected around the place. People do the stations and pray at a big crucifix which is erected on a hill near the well.Long ago it is said a little girl was cured from "real feet", and a man with a disfigured face washed his face with the water from the well and was cured.On Garland Sunday people bring bottles of water home from the well. They take three drinks of the water from the well on

324Greine, or Altar of the Sun, but which is on this day used as the altar of Crom Dubh.The assemblage of this day is called Comthineol Chruim Duibh, or the congregation or gathering of Crom Dubh. And the day is called from him Domnach Chrom Dubh, or Crom Dubh's Sunday, now called Garland Sunday by the English speaking portion of the people of the surrounding districts. The name is supposed to have been derived from the practice of strewing garlands of flowers on the festive mound on this day as homage to Crom Dubh: hence the name Garland Sunday.Assuredy I saw blossoms and flowers deposited upon it on the first Sunday of August 1844, and put some upon it myself as I saw done by those who were with me. I was then a mere lad, but very inquisitive. The assembly was at this time a mere gathering of boys.We thus find a new deity introduced on the Altar of the Sun, and sun - worship and pig - worship upset.If you ask me who Chrom Dubh was I can only tell you I asked the question myself on the spot. I was told

St. Patrick on his way to Crough Patrick stopped at a place now known as Hollywell and built a church there. He also blessed a little well that is now in Tarmey's field, Hollywell about two miles from Ballyhaunis and that is the reason why the place is called Hollywell.
It became a famous place of pilgrimage and down to the present day some of the old people still perform stations at the well on Garland Sunday, that is the Sunday after Reek Sunday the first Sunday of August. St. Patrick left St. Mucna in charge of his church there, and the ruins of

Long ago the people came to the Knock Church on two certain days during the year. These days were St. John's day on the 22nd of June and Garland Sunday as they called it, the last Sunday of July. They came on St. John's day because He is the patron St. of parish of Knock. All the year round the youngsters gathered their pennies to have for pocket money on those two days. During the turf season they would be looking out to see who would ask them footing turf, and whoever would ask them would give them cost for that day. On St. John's day all the youngsters of the nearby districts would gather at the famous Knock Church to pray and amuse themselves. A lot of people would have stalls on that day selling fruits and toys. There was an old man from Ballyhaunis called Joe the Rattler selling toys and amusing the little children. At that time money was scarce and the little children had not enough money to buy all the fruits they saw so they would

St Patricks well near Down Patrick Head was dedicated to Our Patron Saint beside which in recent years a statue of the saint was been erected.
A pilgrimage on Garland Sunday (Last Sunday of July) was very largely attended in the past but (but) the great

There is a blessed well at Downpatrick Head called St. Patrick's well. This well is visited by people who perform stations there on Garland Sunday which is the last Sunday of the month of July. Some old people tell us that once St. Patrick visited Downpatrick Head. Feeling very fatigued and tired he sat down on a rock and looked around him for some water to drink. Immediately water sprung up beside him and this well is ever since called St. Patrick's well. The rock upon which St. Patrick sat is also marked by the impression of his pipe which he left there when going to take a drink out of the well.

Out on Downpatrick Head, Ballycastle, Co Mayo is a blessed well. It is known as St. Patrick's well. It is said that St. Patrick blessed it. It is a nice neat well surrounded by stones on the east side of the Down. People when they vist the well drink some of its water. People perform stations at this well for three days before the last Sunday in July which is called " Garland Sunday ". People that drink water out of that well leave something such as a penny or some other coin, a pin, or a button, under a flag which is beside the well.

and a company of women were preaching in Ireland, they had no house to stay in when night came on. They saw a light in the distance, when they came to the house they went in, and the woman gave Bridgid a drink, and she put poison in it. St Bridgid took a rush off the floor and made the sign of the cross in the drink and then drank it. Then St Bridgid asked her why she put the poison in the drink. She said she wanted the gold cross on her neck.St Bridgid said that the person who would make a cross of rushes, that their house would be blessed by her.IIISt Patricks' Day. On St Patricks Day it is the custom to wear shamrocks in honour of St. Patrick.IV.Easter Sunday. On Easter Sunday it is the custom to eat a great many eggs. There are many processions held in the town in commemoration of the Easter Rising of 1916.V.Garland Sunday. On Garland Sunday, the last Sunday in July, the people visit the Holy Well at [?], and drink the water. It is the custom also to go picking billberries on that day

There is only one holy well in the district. It is in the townland of Doonalton in Pat Scott's field. People still visit this well on a certain day, and that day day is Garland Sunday, which is the last Sunday in July. Prayers are said and every one washes their faces with the water and brings home a bottle of the water. Saint Farannan had his bed at this well and every morning he prayed at it. It is said that on the flag where St Farannan used to kneel, the track of his two knees are worn in it. The people have pieces of their clothes as a relic. There is a shrubbery growing around the well. No one ever tried to drain the well or use it for house hold purposes.

of this locality climb the mountain for bilberries. Another name which that day has is Garland Sunday.

It is unlucky for a red haired woman to come in first on a New Years Day, but it is lucky for a man. On St. Brigids Day there is a rush cross made and hung over the kitchen door. It is called St. Brigids cross. On Ascension Thursday the farmers shake the Easter holy water on their crops. The farmers set or sow something on Good Friday and garlic is also set because there is a cure for a cold in it, and it prevents diseases also. Each man eats nine or ten duckeggs and some gooseggs on Easter Sunday, but that many are not eaten nowadays. On Garland Sunday the old people visited the holy wells. On Halloween night there are a lot of games and tricks played. It is said that the Ghosts come out on Halloween night.

and in front of it is a flat stone rounded on top. Engraved on it is writing which is impossible to decipher although the late Very Rev Canon Kean PP of this parish had its surface cleaned.
On the left hand side of the wells is a stone embedded in the ground and in it is the imprint of a human Knee.
Tradition says St Patrick Knelt on this stone and his Knee left the imprint.
Every year on Garland Sunday thousands flock to this spot,
to perform stations. The three stations can be performed after each other although some people do one on the Sunday before or after and two on Garland Sunday