Fuelled with coffee at Budds in Ballydehob we headed off on the R586 towards Bandon, five wells in the GPS. Holy Well, Killowen First stop, a sharp left after Murragh and up an unexpected glen, full of dense foliage and the sound of dripping water. We parked in a layby and Ger just happened to […]
West Cork
On the Trail of St Lachteen
Today we ventured inland into the Gaeltacht in the search of St Lachteen. St Lachteen (526- 622AD) is patron saint of the Kilnamatrya area, cill na matra meaning church of the relic. This relic in question was an armbone of the saint, housed in an extraordinary artefact: the Lámh Lachtáin. The gorgeous reliquary dates from […]
Some thoughts on Bullauns
Travelling around looking for holy wells, as you do, it is remarkable how often a bullaun is encountered – either situated near a well or sometimes described as the well itself. A bullaun is, at its most simple, a man-made hollow carved in a rock. They crop up all over the place and there are […]
Roving around Kilmichael
Today’s explorations were all within distance of the R584 meandering from Kealkil towards Macroom. The countryside was looking spectacular – all russets and ochres. First stop Togher. Couragh Well, Cabhrach,Togher Driving up to the farm to ask directions, the sight of the fortified house looming in the adjacent field is an impressive one. This incredibly […]
Well Hunting around Ballinspittle
A crisp clear morning in Kinsale, we had four wells on the agenda on our way home. First stop Lady’s Well, just over the bridge at Ringrone. Lady’s Well, Tobar Mhuire, Ringrone The well looked to lie quite close to the road in pasture. According to the Archaeological Inventory, it no longer had holy use […]
In Search of Cats around Toe Head
The day being fine we set out for Toe Head, a small peninsula somewhere below Skibbereen roughly towards Castletownsend. There were three wells on the agenda and I was not very hopeful about finding any of them. Once off the main Castletownsend road the roads become quite challenging but highly scenic: tiny bumpy roads with […]