I’ve been a member of the Cork Historical & Archaeological Society (CHAS) for some time now but have never ventured out on one of their many interesting expeditions. When I saw they were going on an outing to Glenville in North Cork I was intrigued, especially as one of the places on the itinerary was […]
Mass Rock
Diversions in Tipperary: Part 3. Tobar Íosa, Cahir
It’s been a while since we had a proper fieldtrip and this one was bittersweet – the first time we had ventured out without Robert, our dear friend, husband of Finola, and one half of Roaringwater Journal, who sadly passed away in March. Although much missed he seemed ever present and I know he would […]
Derrynafinchin: a bullaun, Mass rock & stone circle
The townland of Derrynafinchin – Doire na Fuinseann which seems to mean rather confusingly oak wood of the ash trees – lies in the incredibly scenic and remote Borlin Valley in West Cork. Everywhere was looking Autumnal and lush in the soft drizzle as we ventured forth. First stop a wayside grotto, tucked neatly into […]
An Turas: in the footsteps of St Crohane
Tobar an Bhile, St Crohane’s Well near Castle Cove on the Ring of Kerry was the well that originally sparked my interest in Irish holy wells. Way back on the 30th July 1998 (I remember the date exactly as it was my son’s 18th birthday) I left our holiday home in the lashing rain to […]
Holy Fish, Faction Fighting & some Meandering
Who knew an innocent paragraph could lead down so many different paths and involve so much detective work and strange stories! Browsing through Sacred Waters, I came across an intriguing reference to a holy lake in County Cork that I had not yet come across: … the sacred lake of Loughadrine (Cork) which cured all […]
Piety, Pleasure & Miraculous Tussocks: Killmackillogue
This sounded an intriguing place – a holy well that in fact might be a lake but which may no longer be there, remembered for its miraculous floating tussocks! We set out to investigate, heading to a remote coastal tip of the Beara Peninsula – Bunaw/Kilmackilloge, just off the R574 from Kenmare to Lauragh. The […]