The National Folklore Photographic Collection, available online at duchas.ie, is an invaluable source with a wide ranging variety of images including holy wells. County Limerick seems especially well documented and each of the three wells covered in this blog initially enticed me with their beautiful black and white photographs. I had high hopes for each […]
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Three fields, three wells, three lads: exploring around Rathkeale
Astonishingly the sun shone and the rain desisted on our big day out in the wilds of County Limerick, nine holy wells on the agenda! These three were all adrift in fields, all had male saints yet each was very different. St James’ Well, Ardgoul South St James’ Well was tricky to find and I […]
St Lachteen’s Well, Knocknagranshy
Ever since I came across this beautiful drawing by Dáithí Ó Ceanntabhail in the the Main Manuscript of the Folklore Collection, I have wanted to visit, St Lachteen’s Well in Knocknagranshee, County Limerick. Sketched in 1934 there is wonderful attention to detail. The chunky stone-built beehive wellhouse in nicely observed along with the accurate description […]
Still in pursuit of St Gobnait
This post may only be of interest to serious St Gobnait devotees! Whilst limited by lockdown I researched, virtually and whenever possible in the field, the peregrination of St Gobnait as she went in search of the site of her resurrection – identifiable by nine white deer. From setting out on the Aran Islands where […]
In search of St Mologa
Today we were in search of St Mologa, two wells on the agenda both within a few miles of each other: one in Templemologa (church of Mologa) and the other at Labbamologa (bed of Mologa) – the area between the two seemingly being the Tearmon or sacred space, where Mologa offered protection and sanctuary. The […]
St Brigid’s Well, Mountbridget
This once important pilgrimage site, the townland is even called Mountbridget, is to be found just off the R522 two miles outside Buttevant, signed but easy to miss! A rustic but rather attractive little carved stone welcomes you in and invites you to honour the patron saint of the well, St Brigid or Mary of […]