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 […]
Search Results for: Gobnait
Well dressed – in Buxton, Derbyshire
I’m just back from a week in Buxton, England having attended the excellent Sacred Waters Conference organised by Sewanee Liberal Arts College, Tennessee and Durham University, England. It was well attended with speakers and participants from America, England, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Ibiza, Scotland, Finland, Portugal, Sweden, Netherlands, India, Nigeria and Wales. It […]
In search of Avalon: some holy wells around Bristol
Staying with my son for a few days in Bristol, it would have been rude not to visit a few holy wells. People often express amazement that there are holy wells to be found in England but, as in Ireland, they are everywhere if you bother to look – admittedly some more obvious than others. […]
St Ben’s Day: Tullylease revisited
I have been invited to give a talk to Thomond Historical Society in March and thought I ought to have a few more Limerick wells under my belt and so planned a speed well trip! On the way up a spot of serendipity for Nicholas invited me to the Well Day in Tullylease, which was […]
The curious, the scenic and the challenging – a 2023 round up
It’s been a busy year for holy well work and the main excitement was the publication of my book Holy Wells of County Cork. This was kindly launched by Gary Branigan, author of Ancient and Holy Wells of Dublin and was hosted by the Working Artist Studios, Ballydehob. The book of course took much longer […]
An Adventure to An Blascaod Mór
A tick off the bucket list and a visit to one of the most difficult holy wells to get to – Tobar an Croise, Well of the Cross, on An Blascaod Mór, Great Blasket Island, West Kerry. We have often gazed at the enigmatic Na Blascaodaí, the Blasket Islands, from the mainland, usually seen disappearing […]