The last two years have been most strange and disconcerting, and we’re not out of the woods yet. Well hunting has been severely curtailed but I thought it might be interesting to do a quick round up of some of the wells visited during the moments lockdown was lifted.
A trip to North Kerry in January 2020 pre Covid was most fruitful in the numbers of interesting wells visited. St Moling’s Well in Brosna felt ancient and still loved, though the bathtub Jesus was a bit of a surprise en route.
St Moling’s Well, Brosna, Kerry
Other attractive wells visited included Well of the Bush, Tobar na Croibh, near Ballybunnion, a bit battered but authentic and still active. Enclosed within a circular ivy-covered wall, it was renovated in the Marian Year of 1954 and has an intriguing coffin-shaped well. It holds a cure for sore eyes.
Tobar Naomh Eóin, St John’s Well in nearby Asdee had a fierce well guardian determined to do his duty. The well holds a cure for sore eyes and rheumatism, its water clearly seen percolating. It also has the marvel of a golden trout, good luck to all who see it.
A trip to New Zealand to see family ended up to be a lot longer than anticipated as we became stranded for six months! We were fortunate in being close to the truly beautiful Te Waikoropupu, Pupu Springs.
Sacred to Maori this is the largest fresh water spring in New Zealand with an astonishing 14000 litres of water gushing out from deep underground every second. The colours and clarity are heavenly but it is considered so sacred that no one is allowed to even touch the water. Pupu is a truly invigorating place and I can’t wait to return.
Back home and some sacred lakes were explored in both Kerry and Cork, each with the odd connection of miraculous floating tussocks and links to St Killian. None were easy to find and none are faring well. Lough Mackeenlaun came with the remains of a hermitage; Lough Adereen had fish that turned to blood if boiled and a story of a terrifying faction fight, when the women went to mass with shillelaghs hidden under their petticoats; Derrylough near Adrigole had five tussocks that moved on St Killian’s Day and at Lough Askive the good people nicked my earring.
With a severe lockdown threatening I managed to go to a local well with a friend and we admired how it had been recently tied up. Simply known as the blessed well, this is in a spectacular situation looking out across an old promontory fort and Bantry Bay.
Back under full lockdown restrictions, I spent some time researching the epic peregrination of St Gobnait, tracking wells, place names and miscellaneous monuments connected to her. What a fascinating journey – starting on Inis Oir, the smallest of the Aran Islands she travelled through Kerry, Limerick and Waterford before she meandering through Cork in search of nine white deer, the signs that she had found the place of her resurrection. By my calculations, she covered a distance of approximately 934km, left a trail of 18 wells connected with her, gave her name to six townlands and saw 35 white deer! There’s a map here.
Stained glass by Joy McAllen
In May 2021, restrictions were eased a little and we rushed out to the Beara in search of St Finán or Finnian, unintentionally starting and ending up at the same well perched high above Castletownbere! Here St Finán kicked some rushes, frustrated at his boat being stolen, and the well sprung up.
June saw another trip to Kerry this time exploring around the Ring of Kerry. We made a bracing and invigorating pilgrimage incorporating three wells dedicated to St Crohane. The final well lay high up on the slopes of Eagle Mountain, wild and windswept with amazing views down to Caherdaniel. The traditional pattern day is 30th July.
A serendipitous meeting on St John’s Eve resulted in me being invited to the the inaugural gathering of the newly restored well dedicated to St John. Durrus Men’s Shed did a great job.
A trip to Wicklow had to include a visit to Glendalough, this time checking out St Kevin’s Well. There are so many dazzling monuments here that the well is often ignored though the rag tree had a profusion of offerings.
Back to Kerry later in July and we had wonderful few days near Lough Currane in pursuit of St Finán again – he’s a slippery customer to pin down. The highlight was a visit to Church Island where the saint is said to be buried. The well is on the mainland but has views out to the island and the saint’s resting place.
We also found an elusive well dedicated to St Gobnait near Cahirsiveen and discovered the home of the intriguing Iron Man.
St Gobnait’s Well near Cahirsiveen 
The Iron Man’s house
It has been a pleasure to meet up with quite a few other intrepid well hunters. In July I was invited by Patsy and John to examine a blessed well, Tobairin Beannuighthe, in Carhue near Blarney. Here’s John showing where the water trickles down from the well into the stream. En route we stopped to hear tales about the story of the miraculous moving graveyard at Courtbrack – the sleeping inhabitants of which removed themselves when a priest hunter was buried in their midst.
Jim Dempsey of Megalithic Ireland kindly alerted me to the Well of the Cross, Tobar na Croise, near Inch on the Dingle Peninsula. He and José had cleared a path through the fuchsia to reveal the well and its stunning cross slab.
Gail Tangney, knowing we were in the area, invited us for coffee and then took us on a whirlwind tour of wells around Tralee including this rather bleak example in Lisloose. Sunday’s Well, Tobar Rí an Domhnaigh, was the site of much controversy when it was restored in 2016.
I was invited to give a talk on Cork City wells by Cork Archaeology in the Autumn which meant another search for the elusive Sunday’s Well near Ballincollig was necessary. How exciting to finally find this tiny and secretive tree well, the water literally dripping down inside the trunk.
Last month Deirdre invited me to Gortigrenane to see the Well of the Firkins, Tobar na bFircini. She and her friend Annamarie had spent many happy hours clearing a path to this scenically situated well overlooking Ringabella harbour. It also came with an incredibly convoluted story connecting all sort of myths and heroes.
Finally, its always good to see wells being restored and cherished by their community. St Finnian’s Well just outside Glenbeigh is not listed in the archaeological Inventory, as yet. It seems to have always been known about by the locals but had fallen into neglect and disuse. In 2016 it was restored, with further work being carried out in 2019 and is now a most attractive spot, lovingly tended and revered,
Actually, I haven’t done too badly have I? Shona Nollaig daoibh.
Lockdown?? Looking at this resumé you would think it had never happened!! Great achievement against the odds.
We have a beautiful community well in my area now abandoned and neglected. Would it for in your register?
Hi Mary, the well sounds interesting – where is it exactly?