Gougane Barra

Pilgrimages to Gougane Barra

Pilgrimages to Gougane Barra

The Story of Gougane Barra

The hallowed shrine of Saint Finbarr dates back to the sixth century. Here the saint communed with God. The surrounding mountains were his cloister and the lake was for him the mirror of God’s grandeur. Stone cells commemorate his hermitage. From here he journeyed the river-way of the Lee to become the first bishop and founder of the church and city of Cork. He died in 623 AD and his feast-day is celebrated on September the 25th

Text inscribed at the entrance to the Island, attributed to Timothy Manning, Cardinal Archbishop of Los Angeles, native of Uibh Laoire parish.

Each year, pilgrims gather at Gougane on the Sunday following 25 September to honour St Finbarr and ask for his blessing.

St Finbarr is patron of Cork, one of the patrons of the Diocese of Cork and Ross, and is also honoured at University College Cork on whose gate pillars is engraved the phrase “Where Finbarr taught let Munster learn”

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Marauding forces from overseas tried to stop it. The supression of Catholicism made it a crime. Even bishops declared at times that was a sin to go there!

But going to Gougane Barra to pray has been a constant for over 1,400 years.

In recent decades it's well known as a special place to celebrate the Sacrament of Marriage – and thousands of couples have.

During the Penal Laws, when the celebration Mass was outlawed, lay people developed their own way of praying there and this became known as "doing the rounds". To this day, communities still call there on hearing of an illness or need for prayer in their community. 

On Sunday Oct 1st., Bishop Fintan Gavin will preside at Mass there to mark the 1,400th anniversary of the first Christian to have prayed there – St Finbarr.

The Oratory of St. Finbarr at Gougan Barra.The Oratory of St. Finbarr at Gougan Barra.

Finbarr established an early monastic community here and later went on to found a centre of learning in the march of Cork -- which later grew into the city.

All are invited to the celebrations at Gougane Barra on Sunday 1st October marking the 1,400th anniversary of the death of St Finbarr.

Mass at 3pm is preceded by the Rosary at 2.30 pm. Fr Bernard Cotter, former Parish Priest of Uibh Laoire and Co-PP in Castlehaven Parish will preach the homily.