The road between Drimoleague and Bandon offers the opportunity for many holy well diversions – all of them obscure and quite tricky to find, but all worth pursuing. Today there were four wells on the agenda, each clearly marked on the OS map (Discovery Series 86 covers this area). Well of the Baptisms, Tobar a’Bhaiste, Tobernabastia, Nedinagh […]
West Cork
Two incredibly hard to find wells on the Mizen
I knew these two wells might be a little challenging, but the sun was shining, they were fairly close together and it seemed a great excuse to drive out to the very end of the Mizen Peninsula. Well of the Saints, Tobar na Naomh, Tobaraneeve,Dunlough The drive out to Dunlough Head is stupendous. The roads get […]
Blessed Well, Rossbrin, West Cork
I had heard that a holy well lay somewhere down by the sea at Rossbrin and though it deserved an exploration. First I decided to visit the castle, newly up for sale. This rather wonky but atmospheric stack is all that remains of Fineen O Mahony’s fifteenth century tower house, once renowned for its scholarship […]
In the footsteps of St Fachtna
Today, 13th August, is the Feast Day of St Fachtna. At least I think it is! It was originally the 14th of August but sometime in the 1960s, the General Roman Calendar, which seems to decided these things, offered the day to St Maximilian Kolbe instead, and St Fachtna was given the 13th. Anyway, it […]
Close Encounters around Clonakilty
Four wells beckoned in the backhills around Clonakilty. Enlisting the help of my pal Finola of Roaringwater Journal fame, an expert navigator thankfully, we set off to explore, the day being bright and beautiful. Trinity Well, Tobar na Trionóide Naofa, Castleventry First stop was Castleventry. Parking in a handy layby, we were surprised to find […]
Two wells on the way home from the airport
Well of the Ague, Tobar na Creathaighe, Tobernacrohy, Ballinhassig Never one to miss an opportunity to discover some new wells, I managed to fit in a bit of exploration on my way home from an airport visit. The first well proved exceptionally elusive mainly because my map reading skills are pretty dreadful and I had […]