Three Visionaries, Our Lady Of Lourdes Shrine In Melleray Grotto, County Waterford, Ireland, 1985
Status: Currently Being Investigated
Episcopal Remarks: N/A
Corroboration by Other Seers: N/A
Biographical Information: Melleray Grotto is a little Grotto located one mile below the Cistercian Monestary of Mount Melleray in the Knockmealdown Mountains in Waterford County, Ireland. High on the cliff face is set a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes, which is the site of the apparitions. By the side of the Grotto flows the small Monavugga River. The Cistercian Monks first came to this area in 1832 and eventually set up the statue of Our Lady. Ursual O’Rourke, a seventeen year old local teenager was the first to see Our Lady. This happened on August 16, 1985 while Ursual was at the Grotto with her mother, her sister Mary and her brothers John and Donal. To her amazement, she noticed that the ststaue of Our Lady was moving. When Ursula finally said “Why me?” Our Lady smiled and when Ursual said “Please bless all my family,” Our Lady smiled even more. When Ursual told her mother, they all went back right away to the Grotto to find Our Lady still there. This time, Mary, John and Donal also saw Our Lady, but She did not speak. Ursual was to receive no messages directly from Our Lady; however she was involved with messages given to the two boys. On August 17, 1985 the statue again moved as witnessed by several people. There were no messages, only visions of Jesus and Padre Pio were given to various people. The following day was Sunday, August 18, 1985. On this day Tom Cliffe, age twelve, came to the Grotto with his father and saw the face of Jesus on the statue. After he told his parents, the family returned to the Grotto and that is when Tom first saw the statue change and move back and forth and become a living person. Our Lady spoke to Tom but he was so frightened that he did not hear clearly what Our Lady said. Either she said “I want to” or “I want you” Tom said he did not want to come back because he was frightened. It was on this same date that Our Lady also appeared to farmer Michael O’Donnell and said to him “Preserve Sunday for prayer”. Commencing on August 19, 1985 Tom Cliffe and his eleven year old cousin Barry Buckley both saw Our Lady at the Grotto every evening for two and one-half hours, except on August 19th when Our Lady appeared to the two boys twice, about two hours each time. It seems that Barry called Tom to play for the day and they ended up at the Grotto. Shortly, after they started playing the rosary, they noticfed the statue change and Her robe was blowing in the wind. Children were running around and it was noisy. Our Lady said “Behave” When no one paid attention, tears flowed from the statue and splashed onto the ground. Our Lady asked for prayer, then the boys received two biblical visions: one of the First pentecost and one of the Last Supper. Because it was getting cold, the boys went home but returned to the Grotto again at about 8.00pm. This time Ursual joined them. Our Lady was now at the top of the Grotto standing on a manifested flight of stairs. She walked down the stairs and gave a message of peace and prayer. She also warned that people have 10 years to improve and pray, and if they don’t , then this is what will happen. Then the boys received another biblical vision, this time of the Great Flood and Noah’s Ark