School: Clochar na Toirbhirte, Cill Mochua (roll number 15632)
- Location:
- Kilmacow, Co. Kilkenny
- Teacher: Sr. M. Calasanctius
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0843, Page 200
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- About three miles from Ardmore in the County Waterford there is a well called St. Declan's Well, where local people celebrate the feast of the saint. Invalids from the boundary parishes - Old Parish, Grange, and Piltown go to get relief at this wonderful well. These people do five rounds of this well, which is surrounded by a gravel path, and it is here that St. Declan built his first church. When the Saint was far out at sea on his return home from Rome he thought of his bell, he had mislaid it on the beach. He was not long on the ocean when he and some of the passengers on the ship noticed a big stone floating on the waters after them. The stone drifted past them and he noticed the bell on it. They followed it until it landed on the rocks at Ardmore and it is still there. This stone weighs about four tons and stands firm against all weathers. The path that surrounds it has been rooted up and torn from the foundation with the terrible rush of high seas and yet "St Declans Stone" as it is called can't be moved and won't be moved(continues on next page)
