Cranfield Church & Holy Well Church Island
On the shores of Lough Neagh at Churchtown Point lie the The ‘church spire’ on Church Island (Inis Taoide) was built
ruins of an ancient 13th century Irish Church and St for Bishop Hervey in the late 1700s. The island is only
Olcan’s Holy Shrine. Within a few yards east of the church accessible on foot over marshy land during the dryer
is a holy well, which provides fine spring water and amber months of the year, but anyone who takes the trouble to
coloured pebbles. go will discover that there is no church under the spire...
it is purely for show! It is known locally as Hervey’s Folly.
Tradition has it that pilgrims who visited collected seven The area around Church Island is a local nature reserve
ordinary stones to count ‘the rounds’. They recited prayers known as the Strand. It comprises 300 acres of wet grass
and walked barefoot seven times round the church, which floods each winter and hosts a variety of wetland
dropping one stone at the door each time. This was birds and rare plants.
repeated seven times around the well. When all the rounds
were completed the pilgrim bathed in water from the well.
Contact Magherafelt Tourist Information Office
Tel: 028 7963 1510 or visit www.magherafelt.gov.uk
Contact Antrim Information Centre
Tel: 028 9442 8331 or visit www.antrim.gov.uk
www.discoverloughneagh.com 19
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