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 […]
Eyes
Two wells on the way home from the airport
Well of the Ague, Tobar na Creathaighe, Tobernacrohy, Ballinhassig Never one to miss an opportunity to discover some new wells, I managed to fit in a bit of exploration on my way home from an airport visit. The first well proved exceptionally elusive mainly because my map reading skills are pretty dreadful and I had […]
St Brigid’s Well, Mountbridget
This once important pilgrimage site, the townland is even called Mountbridget, is to be found just off the R522 two miles outside Buttevant, signed but easy to miss! A rustic but rather attractive little carved stone welcomes you in and invites you to honour the patron saint of the well, St Brigid or Mary of […]
St Olan’s Well, Aghabulloge
I always seem to start my blog by saying how unexpectedly interesting the well in question is! It’s true – each well has its own merits and interest and this one is no exception. St Olan’s Well is to be found on the side of the Rylane road, there’s a small pull-in place. The area […]
Two Beara wells
A visit to Castletownbere gave the perfect opportunity for a small adventure on the way back. First I went up to Dereenataggart Stone Circle, admired the rag tree and was visited by the rather snooty but very handsome guardian of the place. Then on to check out two wells. Both turned out to be unexpectedly […]
Three sisters, Two wells
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 […]