Wells and Stones
Taken from "Romantic Inishowen" 1947 by Harry Percival Swan

Most beliefs and superstitions have reached us by tradition, relics of the pagan creeds of long ago - the sun worship, nature worship and Druidism of our Celtic ancestors.

Wells and Springs
Wells or springs that had been formerly pagan were often blessed by the saints. Perhaps that is the origin of the old custom, that diseased cattle were plunged in the deep part of the river near Culdaff, and the aid of St. Buadan invoked in curing them. On June 9th, St. Columba's day, it was the custom to swim cattle where St. Columba's Well flows into the sea in order to protect them from disease. At Clonmany on the right side of the road leading from the chapel to the church, if a circuit is made round a little hillock there, earth taken from it will cure disease. The circuit must, however, be made in sunwise direction (or "tempadeasil", not anti-sunwise (or "widdershins"). Similarly, whenever you visit a circular monument such as the Grianan of Aileach, the Walls of Derry or Bocan stone circle, you do so sunwise. It is supposed to be lucky to walk round sunwise, ie, in the direction of the hands of a clock.

Well Worship
Another rite practised by the Druids was the worship of water as represented in wells. It is mentioned in the Book of Armagh that the heathen worshipped water as a god. Indeed at one time well worship prevailed all over Europe. This may help to explain the old superstition that if you "muddy" the well at the top of Slieve Snaght you will break the weather, and be overtaken by fog or rain on your way home. And, by the way, those who climb Slieve Snaght are supposed to carry a piece of bread in their pocket. Otherwise it is said that if they happen to tread on "hungry grass" they will faint by the way. Hungry grass or Feur Gorta is a white coarse grass like Keab (ciob).

St. Colmcilles Well Moville

Standing Stones
Some objects also were venerated in pagan Ireland. It is considered highly unlucky to interfere with a standing stone, cromlech, dolmen, or megalithic monument of any sort. This is a very fortunate superstition indeed, as it has prevented many a farmer from removing suchlike from his land. In the map of Borlase's Dolmens of Ireland, 85 megalithic monuments are shown as still extant in County Donegal. Most of them, doubtless, owe their preservation to superstitions fear of the consequences of their removal.

Gloonan Stones
Beside St. Columba's Well at Slavery, near Buncrana, there is to be seen an interesting example of a shallow double bullaun or basin stone. Double cavity stones of this type are commonly called, Gloonan Stones (from the Irish word "glun" meaning a knee). Tradition tells us that they were used by the saints to kneel on. Local examples are rare, but a somewhat similar stone is to be seen outside Long Tower Church, Derry. It too is associated with St.Columba, and is called St. Columba's Font. Dr. Macalister thinks it probable that such double basin stones were used primarily to hold water to be consecrated for curative purposed, and later they were adapted as "kneelers".

Gloonan Stones near Buncrana

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