This well in the form of two hollows in a large stone is in the gateway of the farm opposite St Patrick`s Church Craigagh (Cushendun) approximately two miles from the village of Cushendun along the Glendun Road. Nowadays the well has a wooden fence around it but can be easily viewed from the roadway. The Gloonan stone or sometimes called a kneeling stone is in the shape of two knees and comes from the Irish word Gluine meaning knees. The hollows are filled with water and are supposed to hold a cure for warts or skin ailments. According to legend the shape of the knees was made by St Patrick when he visited and founded the church opposite in the 5th century. Church records indicate that there was some form of a church on this site from that time though it fell into ruin during the Penal times when the altar at the edge of Craigagh Wood was used for worship. The area of land around the church is known as Killvallagh and to this day older people refer to the adjoining graveyard by that name. Ballaun stones are numerous all over Ireland and it is suggested that they were used as grain grinding stones during the time of “The Hunter Gathers,” another suggestion was that they were used as baptismal fonts by the early Celtic monks.
This post is part of the What’s That? Project. Funded by The Community Arts, Culture and Heritage Fund & The Community Foundation for NI. The aim of the project is to highlight local historical sites and give people a short history of what is there. Photos by John Healy.
