Southeast from Athenry there's a wonderful area with a holy well.
The area is now known with the name of Millenium Park, developed to celebrate the Jubilee 2000.
The park has been shaped like a Celtic cross. At its centre there's a sculpture of Our Lady and a soldier.
It is said that after the first Irish attack to the town of Athenry on August 15th, 1249, Our Lady appeared to a wounded soldier who was being carried away from the battlefield.
Since then, every year on August 15th, people from the Athenry parish gather at the well, whose waters would remind us that our journey as pilgrims starts at the Baptism.
From the park a path leads southwest to the well.
The well is enclosed in a wall with an opening on the south-southeast (165°) side flanked by two crenellated pillars. Here, on the outer side of the enclosure, a Pietà is set into a recess. The carving dates to the 14th century. Unlike other Pietà carvings, in this one the Mother holds her dead Son against her body in an upright position rather than cradling him.
The carving is severely damaged by the erosion of the elements, although, according to a local tradition, it was defaced by the Cromwellian soldiers.
The water is into a circular pit with a domed grid over it. The water can be drawn with a hand-pump. On the day we were here the pump had some problems and the water would come up nearly drop by drop.
A life size statue of Our Lady is overlooking the well under an arch-roofed niche.
Next to the well there's a stone cross base with a square socket measuring about 20 centimetres on each side. This is called the Headache Stone for its healing powers.
In the same area of the well there's a sculpture known with the name of Calvary, erected in 1932, the year of the Eucharistic Congress.
There's also a wonderful Grotto, built in the Marian Year 1954.
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