History of St. Kieran

St Kieran was the first Bishop of Ossory and he founded one of the oldest religious centres in Ireland. He is thought to have preceded St Patrick and his background was pagan. He travelled to Rome where he was baptised and later ordained a priest and then Bishop. He worked in Scotland, England and Wales before returning to the Sliabh Bloom Mountain where he founded his monastery in the mid fifth century. Before he died he entrusted his monastery to God and to St Cartha, the patron Saint of Kilcar.

St Kieran's day is on the 5th March and on this day people go to his well here in Kilcar to honour him and to pray to him. Kilcar was once known as Kilkieran, in reference to the church of Kieran. Today there is a holy well in Kilcar and a stone slab showing a Latin Cross.

This well is located near our house and this is where we got the name for our home. Local people have great faith in the water from St Kieran's well as it is supposed to have the cure for warts and backache.