One of the holy wells I was keen to visit on my Limerick trip is dedicated to Mary Magdalen, the only one I have come across with this dedication. Two photos from the National Folklore Photographic Collection show how impressive it had looked in the 1950s, sporting a stone cupola and containing a life-size statue […]
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St Ben’s Day: Tullylease revisited
I have been invited to give a talk to Thomond Historical Society in March and thought I ought to have a few more Limerick wells under my belt and so planned a speed well trip! On the way up a spot of serendipity for Nicholas invited me to the Well Day in Tullylease, which was […]
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 […]
Views, folklore & a lot of green: St Patrick’s Well, Knockpatrick, Limerick
Close to the sea-drenched well at Barrigone is another well, a very different one, this one 572m above sea level and one of several interconnected monuments. St Patrick’s Well, Knockpatrick The site is gated but clearly signed and there is public access. We decided to go to the summit first and and followed the roughly […]
Barrigone: an estuary well
An unusual well in County Limerick on the agenda today, one literally in an estuary. Barrigone Well, St Jude’s Well, Craggs I have long been intrigued by this well having seen images of it waterlogged, like a small ship afloat. It’s situated on the Robertstown River estuary which flows out to join the mighty Shannon […]
St Kyren & St Molua, two holy wells near Ardagh
Two contrasting wells today, one recently restored, the other quietly being left to its own devices in woodland. First we went in search of St Molua, patron saint of Ardagh – yes, the place where the astonishing chalice was discovered in 1868. All was very quiet as we parked in the village. On inquiring about […]