Drumnafinnila – Church, Pilgrim Route and Ringfort

Drumnafinnila invites you to explore its historic traces from different perspectives: St Hugh’s Church features decorative stonework and stained-glass windows, an old pilgrim route leads from its entrance to St Brigid's Well, and Drumnafinnila Fort stands on the summit of a drumlin hill. The church, traditions and fort give the area its distinctive cultural and historical character.

When choosing a holiday apartment or holiday home for your trip, your decision may depend on whether you are especially interested in church art, pilgrimage traditions or a historic fortification. These are the themes at the heart of the area’s history as described here. The various details offer plenty to talk about as you explore together, without needing to combine them into a single story.

St Hugh’s Church and local traditions

St Hugh’s Church stands out for its decorative stonework and stained-glass windows. Both are part of the church building’s architectural and artistic design. For visitors interested in religious architecture, they offer a tangible reason to take a closer look at the church’s design. The area’s history extends beyond the visible building: local traditions tell of a small thatched church said to have been built in the townland of Druminafinnla after the Penal Days.

Another tradition concerns the present-day church and dates its construction to 1842. It also tells of the work involved in building it: men from the parish are said to have carried sand, lime and stones in baskets on their backs. This story makes physical labour part of the area’s local memory. The story of the small thatched church and the tradition about the construction of the church in 1842 remain distinct accounts; both offer a glimpse into the area’s history of the church as passed down through local tradition.

Pilgrimage tradition at St Brigid's Well

An old pilgrim route begins at the entrance to St Hugh’s Church in Drumnafinnila, Ballinagleragh, County Leitrim, and follows an old country road to St Brigid's Well. The traditional route thus links the church and the well through a specific description of the way. Those interested in religious traditions can see a clear connection between the two named places, without any additional stops or walking time being implied.

A pilgrimage event to St Brigid's Well was listed for 22 August 2026. The car park beside St Hugh’s Church in Drumnafinnila was the meeting point for this event. The return journey to the well in the townland of Greaghnafarna was 2 kilometres as part of this event. The date and route details relate specifically to this listed event. They are distinct from the description of the old pilgrim route, which begins at the church entrance and follows an old country road to the well.

The local tradition about the well is also part of the area’s history: it says that St Brigid left the imprint of her knee on a stone. According to the story, people with toothache would visit the well seeking a cure and say three Hail Marys there. As a tradition, this story describes the religious significance attributed to St Brigid's Well.

Drumnafinnila Fort

Drumnafinnila Fort is a ringfort on the summit of a drumlin hill. Its approximate measurements are 36 metres from north to south and 33 metres from east to west. These two figures describe its extent in the respective directions; they help give a tangible sense of the fort’s size without defining an exact boundary.

A defensive ditch runs outside the rampart. At the top, it is between 5.3 and 5.8 metres wide. Together with the approximate size of the fort, this gives a more detailed picture of its described form: the ditch is one of the distinctive structural features alongside the ringfort itself. The measurements offer a useful point of discussion, for example, as you compare the different sides of the fort with children or consider which features make up a fortification.

Drumnafinnila is therefore a suitable destination for anyone interested in local traditions, religious customs and a clearly described ringfort. When choosing accommodation, you can consider which of these themes you would like to focus on during your trip. Find more local pages for Kinlough, Drumod, Kilclare, Carrigallen, Carrick On Shannon, Mohill, Kiltyclogher and Drumkeeran.

For the broader travel overview: County Leitrim.