I don’t know what the situation is in other counties but Cork and Kerry seem to have a fondness for holy lakes. In County Cork for example, the entire Lake at Gougane Barra was once considered sacred for it was here that St Finbarr wrestled with the resident water serpent, Tú, and of course won. […]
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Sunday’s Well, Lisloose: A Cautionary Tale
An unexpected meeting with fellow holy well enthusiast Gail Tangney led to an enjoyable whizz around Tralee inspecting three wells. First we had an excellent coffee and bun in the wonderful Madden’s coffee shop. It was even Infant of (Pride) Prague themed! Refreshed we leapt in our cars and headed to Lisloose. Sunday’s Well, Tobar […]
Off the beaten track in Corca Dhuibhne
Jim Dempsey of the excellent Megalithic Ireland kindly alerted me to a well on the Dingle Peninsula which he had recently cleared a path to, and he advised that I visit soon before the undergrowth took over once again. That sounded like a good excuse to nip across to Kerry for a few days. Well […]
St Kevin’s Holy Well, Glendalough
Enjoying a few days in County Wicklow, we visited the magical site that is Glendalough. A place of outstanding natural beauty, it comprises a lush valley, surrounded by mountains and two lakes, the perfect place for a wild hike – or a hermitage. It is also rich in an incredible variety of historic and religious […]
Holy Fish, Faction Fighting & some Meandering
Who knew an innocent paragraph could lead down so many different paths and involve so much detective work and strange stories! Browsing through Sacred Waters, I came across an intriguing reference to a holy lake in County Cork that I had not yet come across: … the sacred lake of Loughadrine (Cork) which cured all […]
St Gobnait: she’s a fine woman
We left St Gobnait, weary but content having spotted her nine white deer in Ballyvourney, the predicted place of her Resurrection. Here she founded a nunnery, renowned for the caring of the poor and sick. But this is the thing, St Gobnait may have lived in the 7C but she remains very much alive and […]