Some wells are more challenging than others. Tobar Bréanainn, St Brendan’s Well, on the summit of Cnoc Bréanainn, Mount Brandon, has to be one of the most dramatically positioned holy wells and one of the most fiendishly difficult I’ve ever attempted to get to. But it had to be done, and on the correct day, […]
Caoimhín ÓDanachair
Tobar Manacháin agus an Madra
I’m back in the Gaeltacht having finished an intense but rewarding week on an Irish language immersion course in Baile an Fheirtéaraigh, Corca Dhuibhne; Ballyferriter, Dingle Peninsula. (There’ll be a lot of Irish in this blog, hopefully mainly spelled correctly, but it seems only right to give names in Irish first). The course was very […]
Thinking Out Gobnait
A visit to Corca Dhuibhne, the Dingle Peninsula, and the Gaeltacht, with several interesting wells on the agenda (an oxymoron surely). First stop, Dún Chaoin, Dunquin, and Ionad agus Oileán an Bhlascaoid Mhór, the Blasket Centre, Designed over 25 years ago and nestling respectfully into the landscape, this is an interesting building containing a fascinating display […]
St Senan’s Well, Tobershenane, near Listowel
We visited this well shortly after St Michael’s Well in Lixnaw- what a striking contrast! No huge statues, paved areas or painted energy points here, just an ambling walk down an old green track towards a small clump of trees, keeping a wary eye out for the bull! It hasn’t changed much since 1958 by […]
Tobar an Bhile & a lot of Serendipity
Many years ago, and I’m talking about the late 1990s, we came for a family holiday in Kerry, staying in a cottage on the old butter road high on the slopes above Coad Mountain not far from Caherdaniel. Whilst in the local shop, I saw a notice about a pattern day at a holy well […]
St John’s Well, Minard, Kerry
A few days on the Dingle Peninsula and what does one do with a bit of spare time – why visit a holy well of course. First we had a quick mooch around Dingle in the sunshine, admiring the many quirky doors and colour schemes. Then it was on to Minard, via Annascaul and its […]