Ancient holy well in Balla springs back to life

By Tom Gillespie

A HOLY well in Balla, dating back to 637 AD, and its surroundings, has been lovingly given a major clean up and should prove a popular tourist attraction.

Local man Pat Conlon has spent many man hours cleaning out the well and rebuilding the adjoining rest house or chapel.

St. Cronan choose to settle at Balla because of a divine sign. It was said that a cloud guided the saint to Balla and on his arrival a spring burst from the ground.

Samuel Lewis, the editor and publisher of topographical dictionaries and maps of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, wrote in 1837: "St. Mochuo or Cronan, who died in 637, founded a monastery here, of which he became the first abbot.

"This place is at present distinguished for the remains of an ancient round tower, which, though the upper part is wanting, is still about 50 feet high. Near it are the ruins of a small church, of the same kind of stone, and apparently of similar workmanship, in one of the walls of which is a monumental inscription of great antiquity.

"There are two small chapels, built on arches over the river that runs through the town, and great numbers of people report thither annually to perform special devotions.

"A well, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, with a small chapel attached, is attended by a great number of the peasantry at patterns held on August 15 and September 8."

The waters of the well were said to have healing properties and were especially good for sore eyes.

The well is about four feet deep and keeps a good supply of spring water, summer and winter. The landlord at one time enclosed it by a wall to prevent pilgrims from coming to it. But it burst up on the outside nearer to the church.

There is a Latin inscription in the adjoining rest house which has been translated as follows: ‘We fly under thy patronage O Holy Mother of God.

‘The Parish Priest of the Well of God’s Mother of Balla had me affixed here. Dated March 25, 1696, P.R.D.’

Pat Conlon, from Ballyclogher, who worked in Cleary’s of Kiltimagh and at Genfitt, said: "There was once a monastery here, which was founded by St. Cronan who died in 637. The church was burned in 780 and again in 1179 and nothing remains of it now.

"The only part of the old monastery which is still preserved is the round tower. Such towers were built as belfries and as places of refuge between 900 and 1200."

Over the years the well became overgrown and Pat undertook the task of cleaning it up.

"I took out an awful lot of stuff from it. It was filled with stones, bottles and glass and was overgrown. The well has been flowing for nearly 1,600 years. Before Knock, Balla was the place of pilgrimage. I always heard that thousands of people came to the well. They used to be camped in the fair green and up the Mayo Abby road. They came here praying and doing the stations.

"Last year the walls of the chapel were restored. So many people who come here wonder why there is not a sign post indicating where the well is located?"

The spring is located to the west of the graveyard along a small lane that runs along the side of the graveyard from the carpark at the community centre.

Pat added: "The rise of pilgrim sites like Knock in the late 1800s sent the pilgrimage at Balla into a steady decline. However, now that the area around the well has been cleaned up it could attract new pilgrims."

During the Black and Tans regime people from Balla did the stations for the protection of Cronan for Balla.