Lough Derravaragh - Historic

Historic

Knockeyon or the hill of St Eyon is located on the south-eastern shore, rising steeply to seven hundred feet.

Situated half way up the slope of the hill, there remains the ruins of an ancient, St Cauragh chapel, built and dedicated to St Eyon. The chapel was cut out of the natural rock, and is believed to have never possessed a roof. Adjacent to this chapel are the ruins of St Cauragh's Well, its waters were believed to be miraculous.

From generation to generation, legend tells that St Cauragh was expelled by St Columcille from the Kells monastery, for breach of discipline. Consequently, he wandered throughout the countryside until he eventually arrived at Knockeyon.

At this location, far away from the eyes of the world, Cauragh desired to pass the remainder of his life praying to God and fasting. He became seriously ill, at a later stage, and was dying when he prayed to God for a drop of water to quench his thirst. Having prayed for some time, he became aware by the sound of water trickling out of the rock above his head. He put out his hand and drank freely of this miraculous water. He was as a result cured, and it was successive to this miracle that he built the chapel.

During the Middle Ages, thousands of people visited this well on the first Sunday of harvest, undertaking the pilgrimage up the hill barefoot, on what became known as Cauragh Sunday . When the pilgrimage concluded, everyone present adjourned to a green area at the foot of the hill where musicians played and everyone spent the remainder of the day picnicking, drinking and dancing.

On the Kiltoom side of the lough mounds of stone can be found, these were part of artificial islands and gave protection to the people who lived in crannógs on these islands. In the 1970s a dug-out canoe from the Stone Age was recovered from the lake by employees of the Tullynally estate.