The most significant thing about a holy well is of course the water. Not all wells are wells though, they can be springs, lakes, scoops in rock, ponds, hollows in trees or part of a stream. And not all wells now contain water – 43 of the 330 holy wells visited were dry. Hopefully a […]
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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 3: Saints & Sinners
All holy wells hold a capacity for healing. As far as I can ascertain, there some subtle distinctions between them: a Blessed Well, Tobar Beannaithe, holds a cure – often for sore eye or warts while Tobar Slanán, a health giving well, as the name suggest, contains water that is good for you and may or […]
On Wells 2: the Water & the Cure
The most significant thing about a holy well is of course the water. Not all wells are wells though, they can be springs, lakes, scoops in rock, ponds, hollows in trees or part of a stream. And not all wells now contain water – 37 holy wells visited were dry. Hopefully a few of those […]
Putting things off ’til later
Continuing from the last blog, still in the Gaeltacht and back to Baile Bhúirne (Ballyvourney). I had almost visited the next three wells once before, on the Trail of St Lachteen. They all looked in remote and challenging locations, and the descriptions for each were rather curt and unexciting. I had resolved to put them […]
The Good, the Bad & the Ugly …
… a quick whizz through some of the most memorable holy wells visited in 2017. Most privileged encounter: St Patrick’s Well, Castletownroche The year started with a wonderful encounter where we were not only privileged to visit St Patrick’s Well, Castletownroche, right on the Blackwater River, but we were also given an extensive and personal tour […]