Part two of my Kerry excursion and a trip to Killarney meant various holy wells required visiting. The first was right in the centre of the town. St Mary’s Well, Killarney St Mary’s Well is in the town itself, conveniently near the central car park. It is an unexpected sight amidst the bustle of Killarney […]
rounds
A trip across the Kerry Border 1: Kenmare
Himself is walking the Kerry Way and required a lift to Kenmare – a great opportunity to nip across to County Kerry, enjoy the sights and possibly seek out a few holy wells. The drive is a fabulous one – everything just gets bigger and more spectacular and more rugged almost the minute you are […]
The Red Well, Tobar Dearg: a moving well
Having come down off Mushera Mór of course the sun came out and fuelled by a large bowl of soup we felt able to explore another well. What an unexpected delight this was. The Red Well, Tobar Dearg, Toberderg Rather intriguingly, it sounded as though the Red Well, Tobar Dearg, was on two sides of […]
Fursey, Friday & Sunday: well hunting around Banteer
Day 2 of the Banteer explorations and the the first well on today’s agenda was very close to where we were staying. St Fursey’s Well (or Forsin or Forsa or Fursa) seemed to lie just outside an old graveyard. We found the graveyard easily enough, right beside the road and very enticing it was too […]
Thwarted
Thwarted at every turn today by cattle, streams, briars and tiny winding roads with five rather obscure wells on the agenda, roughly between Macroom and Carrigadrohid. No great successes well-wise, but I did encounter a few things of interests and the day was beautiful. Well of the White Fort, Tobar an Rátha Bháin, Toberbaun, Tobar […]
Close Encounters of the Bovine Kind
Blessed Well, Tobairin Beannaithe, Cashelfeane I have been trying to find this well for ages. It is not marked on the current OS Landranger map but I was intrigued by three detailed entries in the Schools’ Folklore Collection. The first two are especially interesting as they reference how the cure was said to work for both […]