The road between Drimoleague and Bandon offers the opportunity for many holy well diversions – all of them obscure and quite tricky to find, but all worth pursuing. Today there were four wells on the agenda, each clearly marked on the OS map (Discovery Series 86 covers this area). Well of the Baptisms, Tobar a’Bhaiste, Tobernabastia, Nedinagh […]
Blessed Virgin Mary
A trio of Wells in Tullylease
The enchanting North Cork village of Tullylease was once the site of a large ecclesiastical settlement founded by the wonderfully named St Berrihert (his name can be spelled in a huge number of ways: Bearhtwine, Bearcheart, Berechtuine, Berikert, Berichter, Berectchert, Berechtir, and Berehert, but locally he is mercifully known as St Ben and that’s what […]
Two wells for Bealtine: Tubrid Well & City of Shrone
Just back from a brief but fruitful tour of North Cork, culminating in two very special wells that are traditionally visited at Bealtine. Bealtine was one of the four ancient Celtic festivals and is a Cross Quarter Day, half way between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice. It was usually celebrated on May 1st. […]
Roaringwater Wells
Today’s exploration was concentrated mainly around the coast looking out into the delightfully named Roaringwater Bay. All was calm, though, the sun shining and not a hint of roaring. Roaringwater Well First stop was a picturesque little well down by the attractive and secluded inlet at Roaringwater Pier. This small well nestles snugly into a […]
A clutch of wells around Castlefreke
An exploration around the Castlefreke area today. The castle itself is a massive Gothic pile built by the Freke family in 1820, replacing a much earlier castle. The house was burnt down in 1910; later sold, its valuable interiors were gutted and the building left a ruin. It was purchased once again by the Freke […]
Lady’s Well, Tobairín Muire, Kealkil
South of the old graveyard of Kilmocomoge (signed from the road as Lady’s Well) is the still much revered and beautifully kept Tobairín Mhuire – the Little Well of Mary. The site is enclosed in blue and white railings and there are some jaunty blue seats looking up towards the statue of the BVM who […]