Two miles south of Portaferry heading towards Ballyquintin Point, stands St Cooey’s Wells, access to the three Wells leads from a gate in the car park on Ballyquintin Road, down a path. This area has been extensively restored by members of the local parish in the mid 1970’s and a modern altar was erected. On the Sunday closest to the feast of St Peter and Paul (29th June) an annual pilgrimage attracts visitors to the site. There are three wells – The Washing Well, Eye Well and Drinking Well that are situated in this peaceful area and are reputed to have healing powers.

The Well’s, were founded in the 7th century by St. Cooey, according to tradition this is the place where the saint performed his penitential exercises in the late 7th early 8th century, a path leads through a bed of reeds to the shore where hollows indented into a slab of rock is said to mark the place where St. Cooey knelt to pray.

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St Cooey’s Wells

St Cooey’s Wells

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