Still in Kerry and a wild and remote spot on the agenda today – Cill Rialaigh, or Kildreelig, an early ecclesiastical settlement on a small headland, clinging onto the cliffs – with a holy well. First we were distracted by St Michael’s Well, Tobar Mhíchíl, near Ballinskelligs, visited before but always worth a revisit. We […]
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Putting things off ’til later
Continuing from the last blog, still in the Gaeltacht and back to Baile Bhúirne (Ballyvourney). I had almost visited the next three wells once before, on the Trail of St Lachteen. They all looked in remote and challenging locations, and the descriptions for each were rather curt and unexciting. I had resolved to put them […]
St Declan’s Well, Ardmore
I’m just back from an excellent two day conference on Holy Wells, An Tobar, in Waterford. It’s always good to meet like minded fellow enthusiasts and it was a very cosmopolitan and interesting gathering. Congratulations to the two organisers, Celeste Ray and Shane Lordan, for such a well organised and comprehensive conference. After all the […]
St Colmán’s Well, near Cloyne
We had several attempts at finding this well and were eventually directed towards a farm. The farmer was below tending sheep and waved us on up, telling us that we could drive all the way to the top of the hill where the well lay, not a bother. We drove a fair way up the […]
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. […]