Cranfield, Lough Neagh

Visit Cranfield Church and Holy Well at Churchtown Point on the north shore of Lough Neagh. The church dates back to 1306 but it is believed to have been a monastic site centuries before that. The holy well is renowned for its healing properties and the amber gypsum crystals found here are believed to protect women in childbirth, fishermen from drowning and homes from fire and burglary. To this day, the healing tradition of attaching rags to the overhanging trees and bushes continues. According to the custom, one must bathe the infected part of the body with a rag dipped in the well, pray and then tie the rag to the large overhanging tree. As the rag decays the affliction is supposed to disappear.

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