Serendipitous things often occur when looking for holy wells. St Finbarr is patron saint of Cork and his feast day is 25th September. The main pattern has always been at Gougane Barra, the site where he built his original cell, and an open air Mass is held on the Sunday nearest to this date. This […]
Glen of Comeraportera
St Finbarr Revisited & some thoughts on conservation
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 […]
On the road to Derryduff in search of St Finbarr
This Sunday, 25th September, is the Feast Day of St Finbarr, the patron saint of Cork. There will be Mass held at Gougane Barra where he established a cell in the seventh century (more information about this shortly). Traditionally pilgrimages were made to Gougane at this time of year from all over Cork and many […]


