I’m still in New Zealand and here for a bit longer by the look of it, so here’s a visit to another remarkable sacred spring – smaller than Pupu but almost as magical. If you’re brave enough to venture over The Hill from Nelson to Takaka and Golden Bay you will find out that a) […]
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Stranded in New Zealand:Te Waikoropupu Springs
Stranded indefinitely in New Zealand thanks to Covid -19, a post from the Southern Hemisphere seems appropriate. There aren’t any holy wells as such but there are some magnificent sacred springs and luckily one is almost on my doorstep. Te Waikoropupu Usually known as Pupu Springs, Te Waikoropupu are the largest freshwater springs in New […]
The Holy Girl & the Wayward Boys: St Dahalin’s Well, Kerry Head
Once upon a time there was a holy girl who founded a small religious cell for women on the green slopes of Kerry Head. Here she passed her time in contemplation and general goodness. Some wayward boys decided to cause havoc and set out to either abduct her or make mischief. The holy girl was […]
St Fursey & the Holy Mountain
It’s been three years since I started this project to visit every holy well in County Cork and record what I found. I have visited approximately 300 wells and apart from a couple, think that the remaining 50 can mainly be classified as no visible trace. I have changed the introduction to the website and […]
On Wells 5: Their Sacred Trees
One of the most encouraging sights to see is a lone tree in a field, one that has been carefully left to its own devices, for often under that tree is a holy well. Holy wells and sacred trees go together perfectly for, like wells, trees have long been subjects of devotion and mystery. Found […]
On Wells 4: Pilgrimage, Partying & Paying the Rounds
You can of course visit a holy well any day of the week but there are certain times when a visit is considered to be especially potent. The main day for visiting a well is the pattern day or pátrún day, usually celebrated on the patron saint’s feast day. St John’s wells are visited on […]