A quick shout out out to the Irish Pilgrim Journey which is taking place from 15- 22th June this year, 2024, described as: … a fully-guided mid-summer walk along Ireland’s passported pilgrim paths, with all logistics taken care of, it enables walkers to obtain the required stamps for the Irish Pilgrim Passport in 6 days […]
In search of Avalon: some holy wells around Bristol
Staying with my son for a few days in Bristol, it would have been rude not to visit a few holy wells. People often express amazement that there are holy wells to be found in England but, as in Ireland, they are everywhere if you bother to look – admittedly some more obvious than others. […]
An Easter Pilgrimage: Glenbeigh, County Kerry
Almost on the spur of the moment, we decided to travel to Glenbeigh in County Kerry to take part in the annual Easter Monday pilgrimage going to St Finán/Finnian’s Well. This well was renovated by local people in 2019 and is a source of much community pride – I have visited once before and written […]
St Munchin the Wise and St James the Greater: two saintly encounters in Limerick
It’s impossible not to be intrigued by a saint called St Munchin or Mainchín mac Setnaí to give him his full name. Sometimes known as Munchin the Wise or Little Monk, folklore surrounding his dates and origins are confusing but he is patron saint of Limerick City which some stories credit him with founding. Like […]
Two Limerick Wells for Paddy’s Day: Singland & Patrickswell
There are 19 wells dedicated to the patron saint in County Limerick but whether he actually set foot here is debatable. I rather hope he did for his presence is everywhere. He left his footprints at Ballyelan; handprints at Ballingary; the print of his back on a tree at Knockainey and saintly kneeprints at Cloncagh […]
Shady Lady: Mary Magdalen’s Well, Kilbane, Limerick City
One of the holy wells I was keen to visit on my Limerick trip is dedicated to Mary Magdalen, the only one I have come across with this dedication. Two photos from the National Folklore Photographic Collection show how impressive it had looked in the 1950s, sporting a stone cupola and containing a life-size statue […]