Cruit Island Graveyard Turas 2

Cruit Island Graveyard
Turas – Pilgrimage 1 2 3 The Turas was performed twice annually, beginning at the After the third well, the pilgrim completes 3 circuits of the
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Feast of the Annunciation, 25 March, and again at the
central mound in the graveyard, whilst reciting 7 Decades
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Feast of the Assumption, 15 August and carried on for a
of the Rosary. If the pilgrim finishes the three circuits before
period of nine days. But like many pilgrimages, doing any
part of the Turas, i.e., one day, is a good thing.
finishing the 7 Decades, they may stop at the fourth well
It was carried out barefoot, and it was not unusual to
(Leachta Mor) to finish the prayers
commence the pilgrimage by sleeping at the graves
overnight.
4. At the fourth well, the pilgrim kneels and then circles the
well and the small mound of sand beside it repeating 5
The Turas is offered for the living and the deceased, for
Our Father’s, 5 Hail Mary’s and the Creed. Then they
those in the graveyard and all the dead one may bring to
kneel again and make the offering of sand.
mind, regardless of where they are buried. But like any
prayer, it is also for the person praying. In fact the Turas
5. The same applies at the fifth well (Leachta Beag) as the
includes an intention at the end on a stone called ‘Leac Na
fourth. The prayers here at Leachta Beag are offered in
hAthchuinge’, the wishing flag. It is believed that if the
this instance for the dead.
pilgrim kneels on it during the course of the Turas, and
faces east, any request made will be granted.
Starting point 5 6 4 The Order of the Turas
The following is the order of the various steps of the
pilgrimage. The graveyard is entered by the side gate to
along the side road along the side of the graveyard wall.
A Turas or Religious Trip or Penitential Pilgrimage is an
organised religious event in which a set of prayers are said
that follow a certain route, pattern or behaviour. We have
many well-known places of pilgrimage, such as Lough
Derg, Knock, Doonwell and Kerrytown. One established
Turas, is right here in this parish, at Cruit Graveyard.
1. At the first well the pilgrim recites 7 Our Father’s, 7 Hail
Mary’s and the Creed, while walking around the well.
Before leaving the well the pilgrim kneels and catches a
handful of sand, an offering, throwing it into the air, ‘in
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost, Amen’.
Many people came to Cruit in years gone by for the
Turas, and still do. To complete the Turas, a set of prayers
are said around the indicated ‘wells’ within the graveyard
and around the central mound. These prayers vary slightly
from person to person, so what I have included here is
what I have been told is now common practice. If you have
been used to different prayers, they are not wrong, just
different. If you have a different way, please let us know at
wardpat@eircom.net.
2. At the following well (Tobar Brighde), the pilgrim recites
5 Our Father’s, Five Hail Mary’s and the Creed, again
whilst circling the well, then kneels again making the
same offering of sand, ‘in the name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen’.
3. At the following well, (Tobar Mhuire), again the pilgrim
recites 5 Our Father’s, 5 Hail Mary’s and the Creed,
circling the well and making the offering.
6. Somewhere near the centre of Cill Brighde, the ruins in
the Graveyard, is a flat stone called ‘Leac Na
hAthchuinge’, or the wishing flag, not located. It is here
the pilgrim kneels facing east, and makes their intention
or request.
I might suggest that people use this stone, pictured above,
to the west of the ruins to complete this part of the Turas.
The Turas takes about 40 minutes each day and runs for
nine days
Variants
According to Prof. Seamus O’Searcaigh the Turas lasts for
seven days. He also suggested that the Turas begins
beside the graveyards main entrance, ‘the point at the
shore to the east of Cill Brighde’, bottom left on picture of
Graveyard which he called (Rinn Chaillighe Mhuire), and
that 7 prayers were recited there. He suggests the first of
four wells is the second port of call and measured it as
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being between ‘the 9 and 10 fencing posts’ that used to
surround the graveyard before the wall was built, where 3
Our Father’s, 3 Hail Mary’s and the Creed were recited.
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The second well he concluded was at ‘the 16 fencing
post’. The last two wells after the seven decades of the
Rosary had 5 prayers attached.
The Our Father
Our Father, who art in Heaven
Hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us
And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil.
The Hail Mary
Hail, Mary, Full of Grace. The Lord is with thee
Blessed are thou amongst women
And blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus
Holy Mary, Mother of God
Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of death
The Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried;
he descended into hell;
on the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father
almighty;
from there he will come to judge the living and the
dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.
Amen.