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The Three Hail Mary Stones

When Captain Conyers and his Cromwellian army were passing through Manister, a local priest, Fr. Toomey, was saying mass. The priest was arrested and his flock at mass ran for their lives. Conyers and the priest had a fierce battle of words and in the end a compromise was reached.

The priest said that God was more powerful than all his army and Conyers, pointing to three small stones, said "If God is so powerful then let those three stones be made to outweigh me and my horse".

The story, in short, is that the three small stones, after being placed at one end of the scale, grew larger and outweighed the Cromwellian and his horse.

Local people, up to this day, often stop and say three "Hail Mary's" at the spot and will always treat the three stones with great respect and reverence. Council workmen always take great care not to touch them when cleaning. The stones are set side by side in the grass margin by the road, midway between Manister village and Lacka cross, in the townland of Cahirduff.

Source: Mossie Hannigan, Adare

The following poem, written by Ned O'Donnell, has a slightly different version of the story:

The Three Hail Mary Stones

Three ancient stones near Manister
An ancient tale can tell,
Of a saintly Parish Priest
And a Saxon infidel;
In racking days in Ireland
The priest was saying Mass,
When a Cromwellian Captain
By his church door happe'd to pass;
No heed paid Father Toomey
When the Captain to him spoke,
But the grace of three Hail Marys
On his soul he did invoke.

The Captain much offended
By the inattentive priest,
Sought an explanation
after Ite missa est;
"By rule", said Father Toomey,
"I cannot ever break
The continuity of May Mass
No matter what's at stake;
But I offered three Hail Marys
To my Maker for your soul,
They're all powerful and may yet
Your barren heart console".

More angry grew the Captain,
He cursed the priest and prayer,
"But yet, if you can prove their worth,
Your Papish neck I'll spare."
"Oh, Blessed Mary, help me,"
Said the priest within his heart,
"Implore your Son to guide me
And I will do my part".
Then turning to the Captain
Still uttering a curse
He vowed the three Hail Marys
Would weigh him and his horse.
Scales were there erected
And three Aves on a sheet,
Outweighed the burly soldier
Mounted on his steed.

By the road that leads to Manister
By workmen every year,
Three massive stones embedded
In the margin are kept clear.
Used in the erection
Of Father Toomey's scales,
They're revered in the parish
And known around for miles.
And often in the morning
A traveller may be seen,
His prayers at home forgotten,
Kneeling at the scene,
With a Pater and an Ave,
His Omission he atones,
While wings are softly beating
'bove the three Hail Mary Stones.

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