St Finbarr Revisited & some thoughts on conservation

I am finally back in Ireland having spent six months in New Zealand, four months longer than intended due to Covid-19! The virus continues to restrict movements so I decided to revisit two holy wells close to home and see how they were faring. Last time I visited was in 2016 and both wells, both dedicated to St Finbarr, were looking decidedly dejected.

St Finbarr’s Well, Tobar na Daibchne, Well of the Hollows

St Finbarr’s Well, also known as Tobar na Daibchne – Well of the Hollows, lies just outside Dunmanway, West Cork and in 2016 was overgrown in a rather romantic way, a haven for wildflowers and butterflies. Little crosses peeped out among the long grasses and it felt tranquil if forgotten.

The well itself was dry and unremarkable, almost lost in a covering of green.

The entrance gates were well tended and signed but site itself didn’t look as though it had received many visitors for some time. Today it instantly felt different. The gate was freshly whitewashed and rags hung in the trees. Looking in it was obvious that everywhere had been recently strimmed. This was the day after St Finbarr’s feast day, 25th September, was that the reason?

Going through the gates was a very different experience than previously. The white crosses, also recently whitewashed, were starkly revealed, as were other features including a small mound topped with another cross.

The mound is intriguing. An entry in the Schools’ Folklore Collection mentions it briefly:

Near the well are two mounds, where two priests are supposed to have been buried. (041:03505)

I could only see one mound but the site was also used as a cilleen, a children’s burial ground, so maybe it is connected with that.

A paved path, formerly covered, wend round the mound and lead down to the well, the area around it was also cleared revealing stone and concrete slabs.

It had been dry in 2016 but today there was water in the well. Once it had been renown for the healing of sore eyes, and was said to contain a blessed trout, pilgrims throwing bread into the water or leaving an apple.

St Finbarr’s Well, Derryduff

Travelling on towards the Glen of Comeraportera I wondered whether the next well, also dedicated to St Finbarr, had also changed. In 2016, I had been astonished at the beauty of this secret glen but dismayed at the amount of rubbish being dumped there- burnt out cars, plastic bags, and old bikes littered the sides of the road.

The well was also in a dismal state, festooned with soiled nappies.

My first shock today was the state of the glen. It look apocalyptical. Trees in their hundreds had been toppled, presumably by a recent storm, and those deemed dangerous had been felled- everything was left where it had fallen, a forlorn and ugly jumble.

A rather touching handpainted sign was perched amongst the greenery indicating the well had not been entirely forgotten.

The well itself was thick with creeping buttercup and other weeds.

There was no sign of the stone basin and no sign of any water though the area was undoubtedly damp. I have a well kit. I then did something that is debatable whether I should have done. Using my secateurs I cleared carefully around the stone work, cutting back brambles and grass. I gently removed the weeds from within the well itself, revealing at least the shape of the well and allowing the water to breathe and settle a little.

The fate of this little well looks grim. It’s not alone. Having visited almost every well in County Cork over the last few years, I can confirm that just under a third of the 356 wells listed in the Archaeological Inventory have vanished ie there’s no visible sign of them. Another third have been abandoned ie there is no evidence that they have been visited in the recent past. The state of the wells in the abandoned category varies enormously from the severely derelict to consumed by undergrowth to intact but forgotten, all in danger of being lost forever. County Kerry, with 180 listed wells, also has its fair share of abandoned wells though I have yet to get the whole picture there. Here are a few examples.

The state of the two wells near Dunmanway made me ponder on the issues of restoration, conservation and maintenance, potentially a contentious issue.

Holy Wells are National Monuments and as such are, in theory, protected by the National Monuments Service of the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, each being assigned their unique Sites & Monuments Record (SMR). Their advice is clear re restoration:

When the owner or occupier of a property, or any other person proposes to carry out, or to cause, or to permit the carrying out of any work at or in relation to a Recorded Monument or a Registered  Monument they are required to give notice in writing to the Minister 2 months before commencing that work. This is to allow the National Monuments Service time consider the proposed works and how best to proceed to further the protection of the monument. (National Monument Service).

This can be a daunting, lengthy and expensive undertaking and I suspect can be off putting to local communities and individuals who may be keen to revive their local well. The restoration of a well such as St Dominic’s in Glanworth with its unique pilgrim shelter, for example, would obviously need professional advice, considerable expenditure and ample time to restore it to something looking faintly similar to the postcard from 1906. But what an asset it could be to the community, already exceptionally wealthy in historical buildings.

Numerous restorations have been carried out at Cork and Kerry wells during the last 20 years – possibly not all with the professional advice and with with varying degrees of authenticity but carried out with pride by the local community.

St Laitiarian’s Well in Cullen, North Cork, was restored in 2008. The shape and feel of the well has been carefully retained and the original door, as shown in the photograph from 1914, has been incorporated into the modern structure.

Trinity Well in Kinsale was restored in 2013 by a group specifically formed for the purpose – Trinity Well Conservation Group – local people who enlisted the assistance of Tús, a community work placement initiative. Judging by the photo from the Irish Tourist Association Survey of 1944, they have restored the well authentically, adding attractive new signage and an entrance.

Some wells have changed significantly with restoration. St Mary’s Well in Tullylease, North Cork, is almost unrecognisable from the photograph taken when Colonel Grove White visited the site in 1907 but look closely and the original well is just discernible. For some purists, this restoration may be considered inauthentic but it has been done with great care and reflects the continuing importance of the well to the local community. To remain viable in the 21st century rather than remaining as curious historical pieces, wells surely have to evolve and adapt to their community’s needs.

This was clearly demonstrated by a chance encounter in Castleventry in 2016. I met Seán literally in the act of restoring Trinity Well in Castleventry. This was a real community effort, a decision made by local people who had given their time and expertise to ensure the long disused well was brought back to life. It was rededicated on Trinity Sunday 2017 and around 70 people turned up on an unseasonably cold June evening – young and old, all with stories to tell about the well, all delighted to see it functioning again.

To ensure restoration and conservation is done without destroying vital evidence, and is carried out in as authentic and sensitive a manner as possible, advice from the National Monuments Service or from the Heritage Unit of the local County Council is not just a lawful requirement but is desirable. Note the public outcry that occured when Kerry County Council were accused of ‘partially destroying’ Sunday’s Well in Lisloose near Tralee, as reported by The Irish Examiner in July 2016. The Council claimed they were acting in public safety but made the mistake of not seeking archaeological permission and advice. An arch over the well was dismantled and a metal grille put across the well restricting access to the water (cure for sore eyes) and changing the character of the well. Following much media attention, the original arch was swiftly reinstated, not to everyone’s satisfaction as noted by The Kerryman the following August.

Obviously the National Monuments Service cannot maintain each holy well so what about those that are falling literally by the wayside? Many communities, and individuals, are mindful of their local holy wells and keen to restore or maintain them not just for their historical interest but for their continued intrinsic importance to the community. The Historic Monuments Advisory Committee (HMAC) for County Cork has already published an excellence handbook entitled Care of Historic Graveyards, available in hard copy or to download. A similar handbook of good practice for the conservation, care and maintenance of holy wells would be a much welcomed asset and impetus in ensuring the future of many neglected wells in both Cork and Kerry.