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Holy Wells of Cork & Kerry

not all who wander are lost

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Kilmacow Holy Well, near Kanturk

10th December 2017 11 Comments

After a disappointing search for a a couple of wells near Kanturk, we decided to try one more site before returning home to West Cork. It proved to be something rather special. Kilmacow Holy Well, Tobarkilmacoo The well was instantly recognisable as we travelled up the long boreen towards the farmhouse, for there in a […]

Filed Under: North Cork Tagged With: Carthage the Older cilleen clootie tree ecclesiastical enclosure Eyes fosse Good Friday High King of Tara Kanturk Lismore Millstreet Rahan St Bericheart St Bridget St Declan St Mochuda

St Declan’s Well, Ardmore

1st July 2017 Leave a Comment

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 […]

Filed Under: Other Tagged With: Arthritis cashel Celeste Ray cloigthithe clootie tree Déisi Muman Eyes hermitage offerings Ogham oratory Philip Dixon-Hardy rounds sculptures St Declan St Declan's Way St Patrick Waterford

Cornish Cousins: seven wells from across the water

13th April 2017 6 Comments

A few days in Cornwall for a family reunion, and a chance to explore some of the holy wells over there. There are strong ties between Ireland and Cornwall, indeed many of the Cornish saints seem to have originated in Ireland, so no surprise to find the wells shared many similarities yet  retained their unique […]

Filed Under: Other Tagged With: Barbie dolls Carn Euny clootie tree Cornwall fogou giants Ireland Jack the Giant Killer Lanyon Quoit Madron; Marazion Maura Dooley Men an Tol Nine Sisters Stone Circle offerings Paul Devereux Penzance phosphorescence Robert Hunt Sancreed St Ives St Michael's Mount West penwith

One year in ….

1st February 2017 2 Comments

This is the first anniversary of my attempt to visit and record all the Holy Wells of County Cork.  So far I have visited 149 wells: of these 131 can be classified as definite holy wells, four are a bit iffy and 14 couldn’t be found. I have discovered a few things: Wells are everywhere! […]

Filed Under: Other Tagged With: ballaun stone clootie tree eel fulacht fiadh Imbolc offerings Ogham pattern day sile na gig St Bridget

Trinity Well, Newmarket

16th May 2016 6 Comments

This was an unexpected and interesting well, clearly signed from the road and approached down a long, damp trackway complete with horsetail shoots. The stone wellhouse, a colourful mound in a pool of bogginess, is semi-circular and bedecked with plastic flowers and eclectic offerings, a wooden cross placed atop. A large slab, now submerged, lies […]

Filed Under: North Cork Tagged With: Blessed Trinity clootie tree Drombeg fish fulacht fiadh General Rosary rounds St Inghne Bhuidhe St laitiarian St Lassar

Three sisters, Two wells around Cullen

6th May 2016 13 Comments

The area around Cullen in North Cork reveres three saintly sisters: St Lasair, St Laitairian and St Inghne Bhuidhe – the spellings of these names vary enormously! Who they were seems complicated. Some accounts refer to them as being from the north of England for the wonderfully named St Beirechert (also spelled in a multitude […]

Filed Under: North Cork Tagged With: Bealtine BVM Canon O Hanlon Cloch na gCursa clootie tree Colonel Grove White Cullen dallan Eyes Grove White handball alley Killasseragh Men's health Mushera pattern day rag tree rounds Schools' Folklore Project St Berichert St Gobnait St Inghe Bhuidhe St Laitiaran St lasair trout Tullylease

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