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Holy Wells of Cork & Kerry

not all who wander are lost

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Beara Peninsula

Trout & Tussocks: the Strangeness of Holy Lakes

11th October 2021 9 Comments

I don’t know what the situation is in other counties but Cork and Kerry seem to have a fondness for holy lakes. In County Cork for example, the entire Lake at Gougane Barra was once considered sacred for it was here that St Finbarr wrestled with the resident water serpent, Tú, and of course won. […]

Filed Under: South Kerry West Cork Tagged With: Beara Peninsula blessed fish Derrylough eels fish Gougane Barra holy lake Lough Adereen Lough Mackeenlaw miraculous tussocks Parknasilla pattern day pilgrimage rag tree rounds St Anne St Kilian Wurzburg

St Finán Cam: the Squinty One

27th September 2021 12 Comments

On the lookout for St Gregory’s Well, Tobar i Choill, in Glenbeigh, a chance conversation in the excellent Emilie’s café alerted us to St Finán’s Well. St Gregory proved elusive, too overgrown, but St Finán’s Well turned out to be a much loved and distinguished well in an imposing situation, located about two kilometres out […]

Filed Under: Dingle Peninsula Iveragh Peninsula North Cork West Cork Tagged With: Ballinskelligs Beara Peninsula Castletownbere Corca Dhuibhne fish fulachta fia Glenbeigh Iveragh Peninsula Kenmare Kinard Kinitty Lake Currane pilgrimage Schools' Folklore Project St Brendan St Finan Cam St Michael Valentia Island Waterville

In pursuit of two grumpy & enigmatic saints: a day on the Beara

26th May 2021 15 Comments

Long ago St. Finnian and another Saint were out boating in the Kenmare River, and a British Man of War came along. The two Saints came into the land to preach to the people, and the owner of the Man of War stole their boat. When they came back to where they left it, they […]

Filed Under: West Cork Tagged With: Beara Peninsula bullaun Cailleach Bhearra Castletownbere Derrylough eels Eyeries Foildarrig George Walsh Hag of Beara holy lake Kilcatherine Schools' Folklore Project St Caitiaran St Finnian St Kentigern St Killian

Piety, Pleasure & Miraculous Tussocks: Killmackillogue

6th January 2020 10 Comments

This sounded an intriguing place – a holy well that in fact might be a lake but which may no longer be there, remembered for its miraculous floating tussocks! We set out to investigate, heading to a remote coastal tip of the Beara Peninsula – Bunaw/Kilmackilloge, just off the R574 from Kenmare to Lauragh. The […]

Filed Under: South Kerry Tagged With: Archaeological Inventory Beara Peninsula Bunaw Dictionary of Irish Saints Francis Joseph Bigger Franconia Frank Miller Germany Healy Pass hermitage Irish Times Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland Kenmare Kerry Kiliani-Volkfest Kilmackilloge Lough Mackeenlaun Mass Rock Michael D Higgins Mullagh pattern pilgrimage pilgrims relic reliquary Rev D O Donaghue Rosita Boland rounds Schools' Folklore Project St Kilian Tuosist tussocks Wurzburg

Four Curious Wells enroute to Allihies

21st May 2017 6 Comments

Two days exploring the remote and scenic tip of the Beara Peninsula and some very curious wells discovered. Kilaconenagh Holy Wells, near Castletownbere The weather on day one was not promising – thick fog and a steady mizzle. We persevered however and the first well stop was just outside Castletownbere. The GPS led us down […]

Filed Under: West Cork Tagged With: All Saints Allihies Archaeological Inventory ballaun stone Beara Peninsula Castletownbere Dunboy Castle Dzochen Beara Eyeries Faunkill in the Woods frog Hag of Beara Jack Roberts Kilaconenagh church Knocknahulla O Sullivan beare Ogham pilgrim crosses pilgrimage Puxley Mansion quartz Schools' Folklore Project Seige of Dunboy St Michael

Found, Lost & Unknown: Three Beara Wells

19th March 2017 8 Comments

A trip out to the Beara Peninsula. It was misty and mizzling, low clouds moving over the rugged mountains, the scenery spectacular, the colours ever changing; incredibly imposing even in the damp weather. The search for wells had mixed results: one definite, one confusing and one not found. Holy Well, Tobar Beannaithe, Roosk, near Adrigole […]

Filed Under: West Cork Tagged With: Adrigole Beara Peninsula bullaun Dereenataggart Stone Circle grotto Kilcaskan Massmount offerings rag tree St Mochuda standing stones Teernahillane raised ringfort

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