A trip to the airport always offers an opportunity for a bit of exploration. This time as slight detour was taken to visit a few wells off the N22. Sunday’s Well, Tobar Riogh an Domhnaigh, Rooves Beg This little well is signed and can found right on the roadside: incidentally this quiet, scenic, road was […]
Mass Rock
Exploring around the M8
A very fruitful three days in East and Mid Cork enjoying a spot of well hunting. A fine variety was discovered, this little crop lurking on either side of the M8. St Cuain’s Well, Tobairin Cuain, Knockraha This well sounded intriguing: I liked both names – Knockraha (hill of the forts) and the unusual and […]
An Arboreal Theme
Fuelled with coffee at Budds in Ballydehob we headed off on the R586 towards Bandon, five wells in the GPS. Holy Well, Killowen First stop, a sharp left after Murragh and up an unexpected glen, full of dense foliage and the sound of dripping water. We parked in a layby and Ger just happened to […]
Some thoughts on Bullauns
Travelling around looking for holy wells, as you do, it is remarkable how often a bullaun is encountered – either situated near a well or sometimes described as the well itself. A bullaun is, at its most simple, a man-made hollow carved in a rock. They crop up all over the place and there are […]
Well Hunting around Ballinspittle
A crisp clear morning in Kinsale, we had four wells on the agenda on our way home. First stop Lady’s Well, just over the bridge at Ringrone. Lady’s Well, Tobar Mhuire, Ringrone The well looked to lie quite close to the road in pasture. According to the Archaeological Inventory, it no longer had holy use […]
In Search of Cats around Toe Head
The day being fine we set out for Toe Head, a small peninsula somewhere below Skibbereen roughly towards Castletownsend. There were three wells on the agenda and I was not very hopeful about finding any of them. Once off the main Castletownsend road the roads become quite challenging but highly scenic: tiny bumpy roads with […]