Holy water flown from Co Clare well to the US for child in hospital

Holy water from a well in Co Clare was brought in the cockpit of an Aer Lingus flight to the US on Sunday to be given to a sick child.

The water, taken from St Brigid's Well in Liscannor near the Cliffs of Moher, is believed to have healing powers. It was requested by an Irish-American family in Philadelphia whose grandson was in hospital. As liquids cannot be sent in the post, Lahinch business Michael Vaughan organised the delivery for the family with the assistance of strangers online. He put a call out on social media asking if anyone would be able to help and told the Irish Examiner that several people offered to help. A woman whose nephew works as a pilot in the UK was able to arrange for Aer Lingus staff to take the water on a flight on Sunday. The precious cargo was carried in the cockpit of the plane from Dublin. It was then passed on to a contact of Mr Vaughan's at the airport and brought to the family in Philadelphia who had requested it. "There are so many decent people out there who are willing to help others," Mr Vaughan told the paper. "I got about five or six credible offers from people about how to get this to America before Christmas. “None of these people were people who I knew personally. They saw the request on social media and came up with the solution. “When you are in the full of your health, it is nice to be able to do something for somebody else."