Well of the Pooka’s Hill, Tobar Cnoc a’Phuca, Toberknockaphuca A chance encounter with the landowner and we were taken down to discover the elusive Toberknockaphuca (Well of the hill of the pooka/spirit). He could only remember one other person ever having wanted to see the well, a Frenchwoman in search of a cure, and warned […]
Lady’s Well, Tobar Mhuire, Sheep’s Head
This attractive little well is found next to a Mass rock and together they form a special site, still visited and venerated. The road that leads up to Lady’s Well is signed but tiny with huge views across Bantry Bay. Park where you can then go through the stile, across a very muddy field, sometimes […]
Four rather obscure wells on the Mizen Peninsula
After all the rain and gales, what a beautiful day to be out exploring and hunting for wells. Today we had several wells on the Mizen Peninsula in our sights, all pretty small and obscure but intriguing. Holy well, AltarThe Altar is a famous wedge tomb in a spectacular setting overlooking Toormore but I only […]
St Abban’s Well, Tobar Abán, Baile Mhúirne
I visited this little well on the 11th February, the feast day of St Gobnait, but was so entranced that I felt it deserved its own page. Appropriately enough St Abán is meant to have been the brother, or possibly the mentor, of St Gobnait and it may have been he who founded the religious […]
Three wells dedicated to St Gobnait, Baile Mhúirne
The 11th February is St Gobnait’s Day, the feast day of a very popular saint in West Cork, one who still attracts many pilgrims to her shrine in Baile Mhúirne, (Ballyvourney. I decided to come and pay my respects too and was impressed and moved by this extraordinary experience. The Rounds, Turas GhobntanThe site is large […]
Two magical wells at Lough Hyne
Well of the Eyes, Tobairín na Súl This is a most magical site tucked away on the edge of Knockomagh Woods near the shores of Lough Hyne. The well has a tremendous aura and seems to gaze out at you from amongst the trees, beckoning you across the stepping stones over the stream, along the […]