Brigid 1500: the Keeper of the Flame

This year, 2024, marks the 1500th anniversary of the death of St Brigid, one of the three patron saints of Ireland, along with St Patrick and St Colmcille.

Brigid is believed to have to have been born around 450AD in Faughart, County Louth but she is mainly associated with Kildare where she founded a religious house for men and women, unique in Ireland. She probably died there in 524 AD – though an intriguing alternative for the place of her death is Glastonbury in England. She is remembered for her piety, her kindness and her charity to the poor and sick. More information about her, and the events commemorating her anniversary, can be found at Solas Bhríde. The original Brigid was an ancient and powerful figure, the Christian Brigid taking on the mantle of the older fertility goddess. Her feast day remains the same, 1st February, the start of the ancient festival of Imbolc, welcoming in the spring with its renewed light, warmth and fertility.

Unsurprisingly there are many holy wells dedicated to St Brigid around the Ireland. I have visited 14 wells in County Cork, two in County Kerry and three in County Limerick – where there are still quite a few more to be encountered. Some wells retain a feeling of great age and have strong links to the pagan Brigid. One of the oldest and most interesting wells dedicated to her can be found in Castlemagner, North Cork where the custodian refers to the earlier goddess when describing the patron. The attractive well (its wellhouse put up in thanks for a cure for blindness) holds a cure for infertility as seems appropriate. The ritual is interesting and was described and demonstrated to me by the custodian. Should a couple visit hoping for a cure for infertility, the man must scrape the cross on the figure on the left hand side of the well, catching the scrapings in a cup. He then mixes the scrapings with water from the well and gives it to the woman to drink.

This enigmatic carved figure, with crosses inscribed by pilgrims on her forehead, hands and stomach, is often referred to as a sile na gig or St Brigid herself, but neither quite fit the bill to me. She remains appropriately powerful and mysterious.

Many holy wells have a physical connection with St Brigid. Sometimes she is described as being directly responsible for a well springing up. At Shangarry near Newcastle West, County Limerick she was enroute to visiting St Ita in nearby Killeedy but left her journey too late and as darkness descended she sought shelter in a nearby ringfort. The pagan chieftain was hospitable and St Brigid regaled him with stories of God and Jesus. In the morning he, and his family, agreed to be converted, the well springing up to oblige with the baptisms. St Brigid’s Well, Tobar Brid Naomh, is an impressive artesian well, 2000 gallons of water gushing up each hour. The rich mineral-filled water holds a cure for sore eyes and should ideally be visited nine mornings in succession. The water is very good. Rather nicely, the ringfort remains, its walls still visible behind the well site.

At Stonehall, also in County Limerick, St Brigid is said to have she stayed the night in a nearby church and in the morning a well, Tobar Bhríghde, sprung up in reverence. The site has changed little, maybe a bit more greenery, than when this atmospheric image was taken, probably in the 1940s. The wellhouse was erected in 1925, collaborative work between two men, one a Catholic and the other a Protestant. Nine rounds are traditionally required at this well, pilgrims originally using pebbles as aides memoire.

At Mountbridget near Buttevant St Brigid was spied sitting under the Biddy Tree – an imposing elm tree. This wonderful photograph, dating from 1943, shows the tree festooned with rags, the well nestling under its massive trunk.

Sadly the venerable tree fell down in 1972 but another is taking on its role, the rags and offerings increasing.

The site has changed enormously since then but is still a place of pilgrimage and reverence, the photos below being taken on St Brigid’s Day, 2022.

A small island off Squince Harbour in West Cork is alternatively known as Oileán Bhríde or Rabbit Island – incidentally the only island in Ireland to be dedicated to St Brigid. After pilgrims were drowned making their turas out to the island, the story goes that St Brigid caused a miraculous cloud, an ámhscarnach, and swept up the well up and carried it onto the mainland where it still flourishes. This image was taken on the feast day in 2023 as part of the wonderful dawn walk, pilgrimage and swim organised by Gormu.

St Brigid left a pair of saintly kneeprints overlooking the picturesque Lough Hyne near Skibbereen. Others report that the two bullauns that make up the secretive little well, Tobar Brighde, were caused by numerous devotees kneeling here in reverence. Robert Day in 1904 noted:

These depressions are yearly getting deeper by the number of pilgrims and devotees who come to kneel and worship at the limpid waters.

Another stone containing her kneeprints was described as having once been near St Brioneach’s Well, near Clonakilty, also in West Cork. The story goes that she was on her way to see St Fachtna in Rosscarbery when she popped in to visit St Brioneach and prayed at the well, again leaving the holy imprints. It’s possible that Brigid is the patron of the well, Brioneach being a corruption of her name.

Whatever the case, the well, secretive in a bank, is now dry and abandoned, and the holy stone vanished. An informant told me that he could remember playing here as a boy and that the stone still existed – referred to by him and his sister as containing the BVM’s knee prints.

Another, as yet unfound stone, has associations with Brigid in Britway, North Cork where there is a beautiful well dedicated to her, emerging from the base of an enormous tree. The Brigid commemorated here may be a more local saint, sister of St Colman of Cloyne, though the pattern day remains the 1st February.

Back in County Limerick, there is another well dedicated to St Brigid located near the old lodge gate to Cartown house in Pallasakenry.

It contains some very attractive shrines within its wall, erected in thanks for a cure for rheumatism, the man who was healed being rewarded with a vision of the saint herself:

On last Sunday I went to see St Brigid’s well at Mellon, Pallaskenry. I was speaking to Mr. Cleary, a man who lives beside the well. He told me that he got cured of rheumatic pains at the well. He also told me that anyone who got cured saw a little fish about 6 inches long in the well. After being cured he put a cement roof over the well and planted shrubs and flowers all round it and did it up grandly. After doing it he had a lovely dream of St Brigid. He saw her in the air over the well, dressed in beautiful garments of every colour with a beautiful crown on her head.

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Still on her travels, St Brigid is also said to have stopped off at Knoppoge Well in North Kerry, this time travelling to see St Dalahan on Kerry Head. This well is also close to a ringfort, now much flattened, but included in the rounds.

Not all wells dedicated to St Brigid are in such good condition and some have disappeared, been tanked over or become abandoned. The examples below are in the townlands of Ballyroberts, Kockaneirk and Tubbrid, all County Cork.

A variety of cures can be had at the wells dedicated to St Brigid. Four wells hold a cure for sore eyes including the well at Stonehall, while the well in Pallaskenry holds a cure for rheumatism. As mentioned, the well in Castlemagner was traditionally visited for those seeking a cure for for infertility, and the water at St Brigid’s Well overlooking Lough Hyne was considered good for cattle ailments, St Brigid being patron saint of dairymaids. At Mountbridget the water was often mixed with milk for extra potency and at St Brigid’s Well in the town park in Bandon, pilgrims hoping for a cure for sore eyes should visit for nine consecutive mornings, ideally fasting.

Knoppogue Well is also known as Tobar Eilís or Tobar Leighis, Well of the Cures. The well is a vigorous spring seen percolating and, uniquely, should be visited either on a Friday for general complaints or on a Saturday for mental health.

Blessed fish inhabit many wells and are considered good luck to those who see them. St Brigid’s well in Knoppogue (above) has the distinction of a golden trout but other less exotic trout are believed to to reside in Britway and Castlemagner; whilst small fish are fortunate signs in Cartown and Squince.

Seafield Well lies just outside Youghal in East Cork and I was informed that it also known as Lady’s Well or St Brigid’s Well and may have once been used by fishermen who walked there on 1st February to collect water to bless their boats.

St Brigid is still well represented and active should you chose to find her and her ethos remains as potent and relevant as it has ever done. Incidentally she is patron saint of dairy farmers, milkmaids, cattle, midwives, computers, babies, blacksmiths, fugitives, chicken farmers, poetry, nuns, sailors and Florida!

And a marvellous short film by Doireann Ní Ghríofa shot at St Brigid’s Well, Liscannor, County Clare.

Finola at Roaringwater Journal has dedicated several posts to St Brigid and in particular has unearthed a wonderfully varied collection of stained glass representing the saint.

Interestingly, a relic of St Brigid, a tiny fragment of her cranium, has just arrived back in Kildare (January 2024) and will be available for pilgrims venerate. The event was reported by The Irish Independent.

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