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 […]
Iveragh Peninsula
Circles, swastikas & labyrinths: enigmas on the Iveragh
The first well expedition of the year set off at a cracking pace as we, in the company of the Roaringwaters, set off for the Iveragh Peninsula in Kerry, rock art and holy wells on our minds. After a damp, mild and very wet Christmas the second week in January was cold, crisp and sunny […]
Wonderful Wells & Wild Weather: squelching around the Iveragh
I’m just back from an excellent long weekend at the inaugural Skellig Coast Archaeology Festival. The weather was atrocious and many events were outside but we were a hardy lot and sallied forth anyway – and there were wells! St Crohane’s Well, Tobar Chrócháin One of the highlights of the programme for me was a […]
Cill Rialagh: an elusive well on the edge of the world
Still in Kerry and a wild and remote spot on the agenda today – Cill Rialaigh, or Kildreelig, an early ecclesiastical settlement on a small headland, clinging onto the cliffs – with a holy well. First we were distracted by St Michael’s Well, Tobar Mhíchíl, near Ballinskelligs, visited before but always worth a revisit. We […]
Sister, Wife, Mother, Saint: St Darerca of Valentia
St Darerca’s Well, also known as Sunday’s Well, Tobar Rí an Domhnaigh, is situated on scenic Valentia Island in Kerry. I had come across this attractive image taken in 1955 and hoped that it might still remain but two previous searches had been fruitless. This time I was determined to track it down. Having already […]
Navigatio: a voyage to Illaunloughan
Finally a field trip and two adventurous days on the Iveragh Peninsula, County Kerry with our friends Robert and Finola of Roaringwater Journal fame. The highlight of the visit had to be a trip to Illaunloughan, a tiny island in the middle of Portmagee Channel, just 350m from the mainland and close to Valentia Island. […]