This year, 2024, marks the 1500th anniversary of the death of St Brigid, one of the three patron saints of Ireland, along with St Patrick and St Colmcille. Brigid is believed to have to have been born around 450AD in Faughart, County Louth but she is mainly associated with Kildare where she founded a religious […]
Imbolc
Thinking Out Gobnait
A visit to Corca Dhuibhne, the Dingle Peninsula, and the Gaeltacht, with several interesting wells on the agenda (an oxymoron surely). First stop, Dún Chaoin, Dunquin, and Ionad agus Oileán an Bhlascaoid Mhór, the Blasket Centre, Designed over 25 years ago and nestling respectfully into the landscape, this is an interesting building containing a fascinating display […]
On Wells 3: Saints & Sinners
All holy wells hold a capacity for healing. As far as I can ascertain, there some subtle distinctions between them: a Blessed Well, Tobar Beannaithe, holds a cure – often for sore eye or warts while Tobar Slanán, a health giving well, as the name suggest, contains water that is good for you and may or […]
(Probably) the largest well in Ireland….
I have visited Tubrid Well in Millstreet several times and am always impressed how it is referred to with pride as being the second largest holy well in Ireland, and possibly the UK. No one seemed very sure which has the accolade of being the largest though. Popular opinion seems to suggest that it’s St […]
La Fhéile Bride
Celebrations on several accounts: it’s been two years to the day since I embarked on this ambitious, slightly mad but riveting project to visit every holy well in County Cork; this is my 100th blog and it’s St Bridget’s Day! There are potentially at least 356 holy wells in County Cork and I am now […]
One year in ….
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! […]