Enjoying a wonderful run of summery weather and invitations to view wells coming in thick and fast, I have spent just two days in the Castlehaven/Toe Head area revisiting a trio of holy wells. St Bartholomew’s Well, Tobar Bearcháin, Castlehaven Reading through the Southern Star I came across an article about Gormú, the brainchild of […]
blessed fish
Tobar Eoin Baiste, Cooliska
St John’s Well, Tobar Eoin Baiste, Cooliska Still in County Limerick, today’s holy well is about seven kilometres southwest of Newcastle West in the townland of Cooliska : an Chúil Loiscthe, the burnt corner. It is large well right on the roadside, dominated by a sparkling white statue of the patron saint, St John the […]
Trout & Tussocks: the Strangeness of Holy Lakes
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. […]
Holy Fish, Faction Fighting & some Meandering
Who knew an innocent paragraph could lead down so many different paths and involve so much detective work and strange stories! Browsing through Sacred Waters, I came across an intriguing reference to a holy lake in County Cork that I had not yet come across: … the sacred lake of Loughadrine (Cork) which cured all […]
St Senan & Friends
Today we had an anticlockwise route planned from Listowel, up to Tarbert, through Longford, on to Carrig Island, west towards Ballybunion and then back to Listowel. It was an excellent day which will be dealt with in two blogs. Sunday’s Well, Tobar Rí an Domhnaigh First stop an explore of some very muddy fields and […]
Two wells on the Kerry/Limerick border
Finding ourselves tootling along the Kerry/Limerick border it seemed rude not to pop over and check out St Mary’s Well in Athea. Mary’s Well, Tobermurry, Athea The well is on the side of the road, instantly recognisable by the three statues looming over the wall. However this is not it’s original position – it moved […]