2 26 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



The well is accredited with many miracles of healing, even in 

 recent years, and to anyone acquainted with the cures arising from devout 

 people performing religious rites at places of healing repute, the tales are 

 credible. We were told how one delicate boy, too feeble to walk without 

 help, was brought by his mother to the place. She put him into the saint's 

 '• labba," where he fell asleep, while she did the usual rounds, and when she 

 awoke him he was able to walk home with her. This I .heard from two 

 people, with but slight variants, so record it here as a local belief. Later 

 than this was another cure, but more explicable by natural causes. An 

 Irish-American, whose health had broken down in the strenuous life of the 

 Eepublic, returned invalided to Ballinrobe. Some time afterwards, hearing 

 so much of the fame of the well on Clare Island, he went thither, 

 stayed for a week, drinking of the well and performing the regular rounds. 

 Finding, after his return home, that his health had permanently improved, he 

 determined on another visit later on, which done, he entirely recovered his 

 health and strength. No one can question that the strong faith in the power 

 of the well has played a beneficent part, and wrought not a few cures in many 

 weak and nervous persons. 



Toberfelabreed is traditionally connected with the famous Grania Uaile. 

 When she was a girl, she rescued a young man from a shipwreck, and 

 he fell deeply in love with his preserver. They were married by the priest 

 of the station, at the altar near the well, and lived very happily for some 

 years. But evil impended. A feud arose between the O'Mailles of Cliara 

 and the Mac Mahons of Ballycroy. The latter surprised the former at 

 a deer-hunt on Achill, and Grania's husband fell in an ambuscade. The 

 young widow made a solemn vow of vengeance, and bided her time. Hearing 

 from an Erris man that the Mac Mahons were under a curse for killing a 

 young man at Achill, and were going on pilgrimage to Caher Island, she 

 manned all her galleys, and anchored behind the latter. She waited until 

 the Mac Mahons had landed, and then cut off their retreat, slew many and 

 captured her husband's slayer, whom she brought to Cliara and hanged with 

 several of his confederates. Not yet were the victim's manes appeased, so 

 she sailed to Ballycroy, surprised Doona Castle, put its occupants to the 

 sword, and made it her chief residence. 1 



The remains, though evidently rebuilt, even in recent times, are very 

 primitive and interesting. They consist of a dry-stone cashel, irregularly 

 quadrilateral, with rounded corners. The interior is 48 feet across the 



1 Collected by Dr. C. R. Browne, Proc. R. I. Acad., vol. v, ser. iii, p. 67. It is probably the 

 foundation of Maxwell's novel "The Dark Lady of Doona." For other legends of Grania see 

 • Otway's " Tour in Connanght," pp. 287-294. 



