94 [P«*. B.N.F.C, 



given, County Londonderry : — " The Holy Well (St. Patrick's) 

 is situated half a mile south of Dungiven, and a quarter of a 

 mile from the old abbey O'Cahans. It was that used by the 

 old monks of the monastery, and very probably the veneration 

 of the people and its reputation as a holy well take their origin 

 from its foundation. The faithful used to make stations of this 

 well, and even to this day are continued, as the pieces of rag 

 tied on the shrubs surrounding it testify. It appears from local 

 tradition that previous to making the station at St. Patrick's 

 Well six other wells at some distance from each other in the 

 neighbourhood were visited, so that St. Patrick's concluded the 

 station. The stone round which the penitents used to go after 

 performing the ceremonies at the well is in the river beside the 

 old abbey, known as the ' Salmon Leap,' and the people in 

 the neighbourhood show the print of footsteps in the stone, 

 at the same place, which they say are those of St. Patrick." 



A correspondent from near Claudy, County Derry, writes : — 

 "There is a lyn, or pool, in the stream, just a little below 

 Kilgort Bridge, called 4 Turish Hole,' or ' Turish Lyn.' Some 

 people still believe that by bathing in this pool cures can be 

 obtained for any description of disease, and the traditions and 

 folk-lore are that cripples were cured at this place, and left 

 their crutches behind them there. Back-going children when 

 washed in this pool became healthy. In fact, tradition says 

 that immersion in the pool was a cure for all manner of 

 diseases, sick headache included. The date of the ceremonies 

 is May Eve (last day in April), when the persons wanting a 

 cure bathe or wash themselves or the diseased part in the water, 

 and repeat some prayers. The offerings (which are left on a 

 bush beside the lyn) are of different kinds. Often a piece of 

 cloth is tied to the bush, sometimes a lock of hair, and some- 

 times three white stones picked up from the pool. Tradition 

 does not say when or by whom the lyn was blessed, but the 

 custom of offering prayers there indicates that the people 

 regarded the place as holy. Tradition says that a very large 

 trout was in Turish-o-Lyn, and that all who had the good 



