After the atrocious weather of the the day before (see Part 1) and the cancellation of all ferries, Scattery Island Tours kindly laid on an extra sailing on Saturday morning to anyone who had missed their original booking. We were keen to avail of the offer and were amazed to find that we were the […]
pilgrimage
Jiving with (St) Senan: a few days in West Clare
I recently had a few very enjoyable days in West Clare with Finola of Roaringwater Journal. We were on the trail of St Senan, our sights set on holy wells and stained glass. I must first mention two excellent sources which I have relied on extensively and both are part of County Clare Heritage Office […]
St Winefride’s Well, Ffynnon Wenffrewi, Holywell, Flintshire
Visiting my brother recently in Altrincham, Cheshire, I idly wondered how far away St Winefride’s Well might be as it is on the bucket list. I was delighted and surprised to find it was only 50 minutes away and we decided we needed a day out. I think this might be a first Welsh holy […]
Blessed Earth & Healing Priests
A couple of books have recently drawn my attention to the fascinating phenomenon of blessed clay/earth. The Holy Wells of Ireland: Sacred Realms & Popular Domains (Indiana Press, 2023) contains a variety of interesting essays covering all subjects connected with holy wells – I even have an article – but the one that is specially […]
Summer Solstice in Glastonbury
I was thrilled to be able to spend this year’s Summer Solstice with my son in Somerset, UK. First we attended the joyful celebrations in the small village of Stanton Drew, renowned for its magnificent stone circles. The festivities begun on Solstice Eve with three sides of Morris dancers, who eventually led us to the […]
In Celebration of St Brendan the Navigator
There are some very interesting saints encountered when pursuing holy wells in the south west of Ireland and one of my favourites is St Brendan, usually known as the Navigator. His feast day is coming up on the 16th May so it seems timely to explore his life story which can be traced via holy wells in counties Cork and Kerry, with occasional sorties elsewhere