St Moninna’s Well

St Moninna’s Well is a holy spring on the slopes of Slieve Gullion near Killevy in County Armagh. The shrine beside it bears the Irish words Tobar Naoimh Blathnaidh, ‘Well of Saint Blathnaid’, another name for Moninna. A steep path of about 600 m climbs from the Killevy churches up to the site. The well has long been linked with the early Irish saint who gave the place its fame. The well was almost forgotten after 1825 until Father James Donnelly rediscovered it in 1880. A pilgrimage held every 6 July once drew many visitors, but after it was revived in 1928 it lasted only until 1934. Today the spring still flows and coloured clooties hang from a tree beside the well. The site remains in good condition, showing how local devotion can preserve a place. A short walk from the Killevy churches leads to the well through quiet farmland and woodland. The view across the countryside opens up as the path rises, giving a sense of the land Moninna once walked. The shrine and the tree with its ribbons mark the spot where pilgrims once came to pray. The place keeps the memory of an early Irish saint alive in the green hills of north County Armagh.