"Clergy" sign, St. Columcille's Well, Ballycullen, Rathfarnham, Co. Dublin

An image from the lens of Reginald and Elinor Wilthsire and as usual with Elinor she has the capacity not only to surprise but also to observe people in public situations. Here, over 60 years ago, she has captured pilgrims at the well of St. Colmcille near Ballycullen in Rathfarnham. The signpost advising that the passageway was reserved for clergy appears to have attracted her attention. Is the pilgrimage/pattern/devotion still going on there?..Thanks to Niall McAuley ( /photos/gnmcauley/ ) we find that this is likely Pattern Sunday devotions and from Wikipedia ( Pattern_(devotional) ) we see "A pattern (Irish: pátrún) in Irish Roman Catholicism refers to the devotions that take place within a parish on the feast day of the patron saint of the parish, on that date, or the nearest Sunday, called Pattern Sunday. ..Photographer: Elinor Wiltshire..Collection: Wiltshire Photographic Collection ( http://catalogue.nli.ie/Collection/vtls000046408 ) ..Date: 13 June 1954..NLI Ref: WIL f9[54] ( vtls000046753 ) ..You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie ( http://catalogue.nli.ie )