This once important pilgrimage site, the townland is even called Mountbridget, is to be found just off the R522 two miles outside Buttevant, signed but easy to miss! A rustic but rather attractive little carved stone welcomes you in and invites you to honour the patron saint of the well, St Brigid or Mary of […]
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A trio of Wells in Tullylease
The enchanting North Cork village of Tullylease was once the site of a large ecclesiastical settlement founded by the wonderfully named St Berrihert (his name can be spelled in a huge number of ways: Bearhtwine, Bearcheart, Berechtuine, Berikert, Berichter, Berectchert, Berechtir, and Berehert, but locally he is mercifully known as St Ben and that’s what […]
Tobar Eoin Óg, St John’s Well, Carrigaline
Today is the Feast of St John the Baptist, a good example of one of those Christian festivals that neatly superimposed itself upon a much older pagan celebration, for it is also Midsummer – an ancient Celtic festival when fires were lit to honour Áine, the goddess associated with the sun, fertility and the protection […]
St Olan’s Well, Aghabulloge
I always seem to start my blog by saying how unexpectedly interesting the well in question is! It’s true – each well has its own merits and interest and this one is no exception. St Olan’s Well is to be found on the side of the Rylane road, there’s a small pull-in place. The area […]
Trinity Well, Newmarket
This was an unexpected and interesting well, clearly signed from the road and approached down a long, damp trackway complete with horsetail shoots. The stone wellhouse, a colourful mound in a pool of bogginess, is semi-circular and bedecked with plastic flowers and eclectic offerings, a wooden cross placed atop. A large slab, now submerged, lies […]
Two Beara wells
A visit to Castletownbere gave the perfect opportunity for a small adventure on the way back. First I went up to Dereenataggart Stone Circle, admired the rag tree and was visited by the rather snooty but very handsome guardian of the place. Then on to check out two wells. Both turned out to be unexpectedly […]