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Holy Wells of Cork & Kerry

not all who wander are lost

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cilleen

Circles, swastikas & labyrinths: enigmas on the Iveragh

19th January 2024 9 Comments

The first well expedition of the year set off at a cracking pace as we, in the company of the Roaringwaters, set off for the Iveragh Peninsula in Kerry, rock art and holy wells on our minds. After a damp, mild and very wet Christmas the second week in January was cold, crisp and sunny […]

Filed Under: Iveragh Peninsula South Kerry Tagged With: bullaun cilleen Cloon Lake cross slabs Derrynablaha ITA Kerry leacht National Library of Ireland OPW pillar stone pink fish Roaringwater Journal rock art Shronahiree More St Colman

Navigatio: a voyage to Illaunloughan

14th May 2023 4 Comments

Finally a field trip and two adventurous days on the Iveragh Peninsula, County Kerry with our friends Robert and Finola of Roaringwater Journal fame. The highlight of the visit had to be a trip to Illaunloughan, a tiny island in the middle of Portmagee Channel, just 350m from the mainland and close to Valentia Island. […]

Filed Under: Iveragh Peninsula Tagged With: cilleen cist ecclesiastical enclosure gable shrine leacht monastery oratory Portmagee quartz St Buonia Valentia Island

Three fields, three wells, three lads: exploring around Rathkeale

13th December 2022 8 Comments

Astonishingly the sun shone and the rain desisted on our big day out in the wilds of County Limerick, nine holy wells on the agenda! These three were all adrift in fields, all had male saints yet each was very different. St James’ Well, Ardgoul South St James’ Well was tricky to find and I […]

Filed Under: Limerick Tagged With: ash tree cilleen Eyes faction fighting Folklore Collection Main Manuscript Nantenan National Folklore Photographic Collection pattern percolation pilgrimage rounds Schools' Folklore Project sores St Bernard St Colman St James trout

A Peregrination Part 3: The home run

7th March 2021 6 Comments

Having toured North Cork in part 2 of her peregrination, visited three possible sisters and a brother, St Gobnait remains in County Cork for the last leg of her journey; but before embarking on the home straight makes an inexplicable journey down to West Cork – sure, why wouldn’t you! Kilgobbin, Ballinadee St Gobnait then […]

Filed Under: North Cork Other South Kerry West Cork Tagged With: Baile Mhic Ire Baile Mhúirne Ballinadee Ballymackeera Ballyvourney bees bullaun cilleen Clondrohid deer Dripsey Indulgence John Connell O Sullivan beare pilgrimage Schools' Folklore Project Seamus Murphy Sheep's Head shrine St Abbán St Gobnait St Gobnait's Stone

St Finbarr Revisited & some thoughts on conservation

4th October 2020 8 Comments

st finbarr dunmanway

I am finally back in Ireland having spent six months in New Zealand, four months longer than intended due to Covid-19! The virus continues to restrict movements so I decided to revisit two holy wells close to home and see how they were faring. Last time I visited was in 2016 and both wells, both […]

Filed Under: West Cork Tagged With: Archaeological Inventory Blessed Virgin Mary Castleventry cilleen Colonel Grove White crosses Cullen Derryduff Dunmanway Eyes Glanworth Glen of Comeraportera HMAC Irish Examiner Irish Tourist Association Survey 1944 Kilbarry National Monuments Service rag tree Schools' Folklore Project St Dominic St Finbarre St Laitiaran The Kerryman trout Tullylease Tús

Enchantment & Petrification: St Feaghna’s Well, Bonane

11th December 2019 16 Comments

This has to be one of the most extraordinary and unusual sites yet visited. Extraordinary in so many ways: from the setting, to the monuments to the folklore. Apologies for the length of this post but I was immersed and enchanted! Veering off the N71 from Glengarriff to Kenmare, you encounter a myriad of tiny […]

Filed Under: South Kerry Tagged With: Archaeological Inventory blessed bush Bonane bullaun Cattle cilleen Constellation of Orion cursing stones; Easter Francis Joseph Bigger Garranes homing stone John O Donovan Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries keelers Kenmare Kilmalkedar Kilpatrick Kilruddery Mr and Mrs SC Hall Petrified Dairy pilgrimage Priest's Leap Rheumatism Rolls of Butter rounds Schools' Folklore Project St Feaghna turas Warts Winter Solstice

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