There are some very interesting saints encountered when pursuing holy wells in the south west of Ireland and one of my favourites is St Brendan, usually known as the Navigator. His feast day is coming up on the 16th May so it seems timely to explore his life story which can be traced via holy wells in counties Cork and Kerry, with occasional sorties elsewhere
Ardfert
Ringing in the old & the new: a round up of explorations in 2024
It’a always interesting to look back on a year and see where I’ve been and what I’ve done. It didn’t feel as though I’d visited many holy wells this year as much of my time had been taken up with the project Well, Well, Well?, working with artist Marie Brett. This immersive and creative project […]
Well, Well, Well? The making of an arthouse film
Fieldwork has taken a bit of a back burner this year for I have been involved in a very exciting project which has just come to fruition. Almost a year ago I was contacted by Marie Brett, an award winning visual artist, who wondered if I might be interested in working with her on an […]
In Praise of Well Keepers
I am in the early stages of collaborating on an art project focusing on holy wells. Marie Brett is leading the project and approached me with inquiries about locating possible holy wells. After a lot of difficulty I narrowed it down to four wells, two in North Cork and two in North Kerry, all visited […]
Sunday’s Well, Lisloose: A Cautionary Tale
An unexpected meeting with fellow holy well enthusiast Gail Tangney led to an enjoyable whizz around Tralee inspecting three wells. First we had an excellent coffee and bun in the wonderful Madden’s coffee shop. It was even Infant of (Pride) Prague themed! Refreshed we leapt in our cars and headed to Lisloose. Sunday’s Well, Tobar […]
A tale of Saints & Sheep: Tobar na Molt, Ardfert
A trip to Kerry and a chance to take a quick excursion to a well I have long wanted to visit – Tobar na Molt, Well of the Wethers, in Ardfert just north east of Tralee. I have always been intrigued by the name and this entry from the Schools’ Folklore Collection offers an explanation: […]