Away behind Crettyard and close to Castlecomer located in a nice bucolic setting is to be found Saint Longory's Well. This part of Laois is a mere "stones throw" from the County border with Kilkenny and it's a nice area to visit.
Saint Longory's Holy Well and an old Graveyard are located here along with a modern little grotto where small groups probably gather for Mass.
This site was once visited by many pilgrims and was host to an annual Patten day, a day of Worship dedicated to the feast day of the Patron Saint. In this case it was Saint Longory (or perhaps Lon or Longarra).
Interpreting Kilgory I read it as the Church of (Lon) Gory however I am led to believe that in Irish Kilgory is known as Cill Gabhra "the Church of Gabhair".
It should be remembered that many place-names were anglicised into English before being switched back into Irish again and Irish can be descriptive of many different things. As such Irish place-names can be difficult to correctly interpret sometimes.
The Chronicler Reverend John Canon O'Hanlon in Volume 6 of the "Lives of the Irish Saints" refers to Saint Lon of Cill Gobhra and a festival entered into the Martyrology of Tallagh surrounding him.
He also says "There is a Kilgory in the Parish of Killabban and Barony of Slieve-margy, Queen's County" and goes on to say that there are other Kilgorys in both Clare and Donegal.
Early Irish Christianity has left us with the names of many little known and obscure Saints.
As to whether Saint Lon, Saint Longory or Saint Longarra ever founded a Church at Kilgory is anyone's guess. Either way it's still a nice place to visit and enjoy some quiet contemplatation.
As each decade passes more and more of these little Well's and places of ancient veneration are disappearing or being filled in and forgotten about.
Secular in both outlook and belief I nonetheless hope that most of those that remain will be around for future generations to enjoy and to remind of us of times past and our sometimes forgotten history.
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