Ritual site - holy/saint's stone

The National Monuments Service's description

Adjacent to a church (SL015-096001-) on Church Island in Lough Gill.
This ritual stone/saint’s stone is not indicated on any edition of the OS 6-inch maps. It is traditionally known as ‘Our Lady’s Bed’ and was believed to have specific protective or curative powers, which were first recorded by Grosse (1791, 58) in the late 18th century: ‘In a rock near the door of the church is a cavity, called Our Lady’s Bed, into which pregnant women go, and turning thrice around, which they believe prevents their dying in labour; at the same time they repeat certain prayers.’
Writing at the beginning of the 20th-century, Fennel (1906, 169) described it as a ‘rude construction more like a poor attempt to build a cromleac’, and provided additional detail on the ritual undertaken by women ‘who desired the blessings of maternity’. They were required ‘to enter it feet foremost, which was accomplished by wriggling in and turning three times and always to the right, repeating each time “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost”, and then emerging, and having said three “Our Fathers and three “Hail Mary’s”, the rite was completed.’ The effectiveness of the ritual was recounted to him by a local woman who ‘knew an American woman who, desiring such blessings, came in good faith to “Our Lady’s Bed”, and observed its ancient rite, with the result that the “blessings” came afterwards to her abundantly, and in quick succession.’ (Ibid. 1906, 169).

Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 30 September 2020

References

Grose, F. 1791 The antiquities of Ireland, 2 vols. London. S. Hooper.

Fennell, W.J. 1904 Church Island, or Inismore, Lough Gill. Ulster Journal of Archaeology 10, 166-169.