The Case of the Missing Spectacles: All Saints’ Well, Loo Bridge, near Kilgarvan

Finally back in County Kerry and in search of a holy well that has long intrigued me: All Saints’ Well, Tobar na Naomh near Loo Bridge, Kilgarvan. This is the folklore that enticed me:

There is a well at Loo Bridge called Tobar na Naomh. The people around the place go doing rounds to the place every year. The well is holy. There were a band of Saints going over the hill to Guagan Barra. The first saint took a drink at the well. He forgot his spectacles near the well. He thought of his spectacles when he was in Guagan Barra. He told the Saint next to him that he forgot his spectacles and he told the Saint that was next to him and they passed the word along to each other and the last saint got the spectacles near the well and carried them to Guagan Barra.

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The short sighted and forgetful saint was of course St Finbarr of Cork who had been visiting fellow saints across the border in County Kerry. Having had an enjoyable visit, he walked all the way back to Gougane Barra whereupon he found he had forgotten his spectacles. How easily that happens! Fortunately his fellow saints were numerous and helpful and a human convoy was formed to pass the spectacles from hand to hand all the way back to Gougane. Of course the spectacles, having belonged to a saint, were so holy they left their marks on the rock on which they languished. The marks were apparently still evident. I needed to see them.

Pursuing the map, the site of the well looked challenging, lying at the foot of a barren mountain. The photographs from the National Folklore Photographic Collection were not encouraging. The countryside looked wild and…

… the well heavily camouflaged.

Nonetheless a day out was organised, again shared with the Roaringwaters. There were a few distractions enroute. First stop, the incredible remains of Ardtully Castle, set on fire in 1921 by the IRA and now languishing in a most scenic position overlooking the Roughty river.

Close by lay two extraordinary wells dedicated to St Peter and St Paul at Kilpadder. I had been before but this time I was able to find the well dedicated to St Paul, elusive on my first visit.

The wells are nestled in such a rich woodland, dense and mossy, today carpeted with wildflowers, though little distills the melancholy air.

All Saints’ Well, Tobar na Naomh

Finally we arrived at Loo Bridge famous for an old railway viaduct and former station. We parked, ate some lunch and contemplated the scene. A man was mowing the grass curb on the side of the road and I went over to inquire whether he had heard of the well. He had but pointed further down the road to where another man was mowing, assuring me that he was local and would know what I needed to know. John was indeed the man I needed to talk to and he not only gave me precise instructions how to find the well but added some added personal recollections.

I returned to collect the others and we walked along the busy road, cars whizzing by us. We found the double gates as described by John and entered into the big field.

We strode across the field to the side of the mountain looking out for a small gate. How pleasing to find it.

We went through, ensuring to tie the twine carefully due to the sheep. The terrain became boggy yet stony, large slabs eventually appearing that looked like a rough path.

The area became dense, mossy woodland, wet underfoot.

Suddenly the well was spotted, tucked into the hillside at the edge of the path, a circle of rocks defining it. Crosses could cleary be seen, etched into the rock by pilgrims.

But were the spectacles still there? Rather marvellously they were – two little circular indents joined by a bridge – they looked very like pince nez to me!

The water was icy cold, crystal clear and said to hold a cure for – yes, sore eyes. According to John, the most effective water was of course that which gathered in the little scoops. Note the pilgrim cross next to them.

There are five stones etched with pilgrims’ crosses including the one below, the small stone used to do the job handily left on the top.

The well is said to hold a resident white trout and John told me the story of his father who, as a small boy, had a bad leg. His mother had carried him to the well and bathed his leg. As she was doing this he cried out that he’d seen the white fish. His leg was instantly healed and he was playing football by the afternoon! I asked John if he had ever seen the fish. He told me he had but it was a black one so he didn’t think it counted. I reckon it did.

John knew all about the forgetful saint and his specs and said the road across the mountain was still called Slighe na Naomh, Way of the Saints. This leads to Ballyvourney, home of St Gobnait, a 14 and a half kilometre walk: three hours walking according to Google though I think that’s rather optimistic. Ballyvourney to Gougane is another 29km, so the saints were undertaking quite a hike. The path was so narrow and difficult they had to travel in single file:

In Glenflesk there is one Holy Well called ‘Tobar na Naomh’. It is a spring well at the foot of a very steep hill. The path up the hill was called ‘Slighe na Naomh’, which led to Ballyvourney. The story was told that at one time a number of Saints were going from Tobar na Naomh to Ballyvourney. The mountain path being so steep and narrow they could only walk one behind the other. When the first arrived at Ballyvourney he found he had forgotten something at the well. He told the one next to him and so the word was passed from one to the other and the last was just leaving the the well when the word reached him so that he was able to bring the forgotten object to its owner. This object was said to be a pair of glasses. Whether glasses were know in Ireland in the days of the Saints I do not know.

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Once the well attracted large crowds on its feast day, Good Friday. John confirmed there had been a gathering this year, the first in two years due to Covid.

The Irish Tourist Association Survey for Kerry describes how the rounds were also paid on the 5th February:

St. Agatha is the Patron saint of the Parish and on her Feast Day, Feb. 5th every year, a pilgrimage is made to Tobar na Naomh (Saint’s Well) which is situated at the base of the mountain about 200 yards from Loo Bridge. The well is formed by a crevice in the rocks, and is about 2 ft. by 9 ins. across, and 4ins deep. The imprint of a Saint’s spectacles are said to be visible here and the story is that the Holy man dropped them while on his way to perform religious exercises at Gougane Beara. Rounds are around the base of the mountain during the Pilgrimage.

ITA Kerry, 1942

St Agatha remains patron saint of the parish and there is a very handsome stained glass window depicting her in the nearby church at nearby Glenflesk. She is shown with the instrument of her martydom. Her story is a grisly one, suffice to say she is patron saint of rape victims, wet nurses and those suffering from breast cancer.

Many thanks to John (apologies for not asking your surname) for the directions and additional information.

The location of these wells can be found in the Gazetteer.