A quick shout out out to the Irish Pilgrim Journey which is taking place from 15- 22th June this year, 2024, described as: … a fully-guided mid-summer walk along Ireland’s passported pilgrim paths, with all logistics taken care of, it enables walkers to obtain the required stamps for the Irish Pilgrim Passport in 6 days […]
pilgrimage
An Easter Pilgrimage: Glenbeigh, County Kerry
Almost on the spur of the moment, we decided to travel to Glenbeigh in County Kerry to take part in the annual Easter Monday pilgrimage going to St Finán/Finnian’s Well. This well was renovated by local people in 2019 and is a source of much community pride – I have visited once before and written […]
An unveiling: two new statues of St Gobnait revealed
One of the extraordinary rituals still maintained on St Gobnait’s feast day, 11th February, involves a much worn thirteenth century oak statue, a depiction of the saint herself. It is only made available for veneration for two days a year, the feast day and Whitsunday, when it is placed in the church in Baile Bhúirne, […]
Brigid 1500: the Keeper of the Flame
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 […]
Wonderful Wells & Wild Weather: squelching around the Iveragh
I’m just back from an excellent long weekend at the inaugural Skellig Coast Archaeology Festival. The weather was atrocious and many events were outside but we were a hardy lot and sallied forth anyway – and there were wells! St Crohane’s Well, Tobar Chrócháin One of the highlights of the programme for me was a […]
Summer meanderings
In between all the excitement of the book finally being let loose into the world, I have had time to visit a few, mainly local, wells, which had so far escaped detection; and caught up with a few old favourites. Ballybane Holy Well In June Thomas Wiegandt Invited me to inspect his well in Ballybane […]