Clan seeks 'Blessing' for holy well 'marker' -- Stormont Watch

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Date Posted: Sun, Apr 01 2007, 16:15:06 PDT
Author: O'Dochartaigh Family Research Assoc.
Subject: Clan seeks 'Blessing' for holy well 'marker'

Drafted by Family Research Unit, Buncrana, Co. Donegal

PRESS RELEASE FROM O�DOHERTY FAMILY RESEARCH ASSOCIATION
[Shore Front, Buncrana Office & c/o rights.civil@googlemail.com: O�Dochartaigh Ho., Crawford Sq., Derry BT48 7HR and +44-028-71-286359

Clan seeks �blessing� for holy well �marker�

Late in 1995 Pascual O�Dogherty of Madrid, now a retired admiral of the Royal Navy of Spain, wrote to the editor of the O�Doherty clan�s newspaper, expressing his concern at what he considered the neglected state of St. Patrick�s Well, located outside the ancient Grain�n of Aileach fortress, around five miles from Derry. The following Easter edition of Ar Duthchas, circulated internationally, conveyed his views with a front page headline together with a photo of the admiral in full dress uniform, wearing a sash in Spain�s national colours, bedecked with numerous medals and awards denoting his many years of naval service to his king and country.

The retired admiral, a regular visitor to the Northwest, is the younger brother of Dr. Ramon Salvador O�Dogherty, the XXXVII hereditary Lord of Innish Owen. A special international gathering of the clan will take place next summer to commemorate its 21-year old chieftain, Sir Cahir Rua, whose death in action at Killmaccrennan, ended the prolonged rebellion of 1608. The Plantation of Ulster then commenced in earnest after the House of O�Dochartaigh, the last of the Gaelic seats of ancient Ireland, was militarily obliterated.

The admiral�s initial letter noted; �On a recent visit I found the well absolutely abandoned, a hole in the ground, full of muddy rain water. I am sure that when Irish people realise the potential of that place, as a point of encounter for all Irish people, Catholics, Protestant and Dissenter alike, there will be a strong movement for action, involving the Derry, Donegal and Tyrone authorities, the Churches and the common people.�

The admiral later put his proposal for a fitting �marker� at the holy well to the Standing Committee of Irish Chiefs and Chieftains, and the editor of the clan paper duly wrote to the Dept. of Public Works, relevant ministers, politicians, and both Derry City and Co. Donegal councillors. The issue was taken up at the time by the local print and radio media, but to no avail.

Now, a dozen years later, the admiral is again pressing for action. The former editor of Ar Duthchas [Our Heritage], Derry historian, Fionnbarra O�Dochartaigh is one of those spear-heading the renewed campaign. At the weekend he penned an e-mail to �interested parties at home and abroad�, including media contacts, appealing for positive action, in which he wrote:

�Please join our lobbying on the highly neglected state of St. Patrick's Well at Grain�n Fort. It isn't even marked as a place of outstanding historical interest. It was the water from this well which was used by St. Patrick to baptise the local Gaelic chiefs e.g., Conall Gulban and Eoghan (Owen), King of Tyrone, around 430 AD. It is thus the pivotal fountain-head of Christianity in this region. St. Colm Cille was a Donegal prince, a great grandson of Conall Gulban, who was one of the sons of the Ard Ri (High King) of Ireland, Niall of the Nine Hostages. Many clans can be traced back to Niall and Conall, not only the O�Dohetys, but the O�Neills, O�Connors, McDermotts, O�Connells, O�Donnells, O�Boyles, O�Dalys, O�Gallaghers, McLaughlins, McDevitts, McDaids, and MacSweeneys, to name but a few. Would we be so very insulting to 'officialdom' to claim that in any other country, even a small commemorative memorial would have been placed there, generations ago?

He concluded: �Our clan executive knows we have plenty of moral support, but all we got from the relevant departments in Dublin and public representatives, so far, amounts to little more than a letter of acknowledgement. Therefore, we feel we should now cordially request permission to place a commemorative plaque at the site, and maybe even a miniature Celtic Cross. This would avoid the use of tax payers� money as we are confident that we can privately raise the funds necessary to do so. However, we'd like to have the "blessing" of the Public Works Dept., or whoever and whatever agencies of "officialdom" which might be involved. I, nor you, wouldn't wish to see the memorial pulled down because of lack of planning permission, ironically by the same "officialdom" which has remained inactive for over a decade on this proposal. This is a major national heritage site, if not a prime tourist attraction, as well as being a place that many religious followers don't even seem to know about!

O�Dochartaigh in the early 1990s was appointed a Corresponding Fellow of the Royal Academy of San Romualdo of Letters, Arts and Sciences, by Spanish academics for �outstanding international cultural endeavours�. Such included several years spent researching the �Stragglers� of the Spanish Armada of 1588, most of whom perished along the coastline or slaughtered after landing on Irish soil. At great risk to themselves, the O�Dohertys together with the subsequently martyred Bishop Redmond O�Gallagher of Derry and clans such as the O�Cahans [O�Kane] of North Derry, aided the return of many survivors, primarily via Dunluce Castle in Co. Antrim..

The project team can be contacted via rights.civil@googlemail.com; O�Doherty Ho., Derry City BT48 7HR or 028-71-286359

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