It’s been three years since I started this project to visit every holy well in County Cork and record what I found. I have visited approximately 300 wells and apart from a couple, think that the remaining 50 can mainly be classified as no visible trace. I have changed the introduction to the website and […]
Schools' Folklore Project
On Wells 5: Their Sacred Trees
One of the most encouraging sights to see is a lone tree in a field, one that has been carefully left to its own devices, for often under that tree is a holy well. Holy wells and sacred trees go together perfectly for, like wells, trees have long been subjects of devotion and mystery. Found […]
Wild out East
The last few wells in East Cork beckoned and on paper they sounded rather a motley crew. The reality was pretty much the same but a very interesting story was revealed. We stayed in Cobh overnight and enjoyed a beautiful evening light. The buildings glowed and we strolled along the Prom, admired St Colman’s Cathedral, […]
On Wells 3: Saints & Sinners
All holy wells hold a capacity for healing. As far as I can ascertain, there some subtle distinctions between them: a Blessed Well, Tobar Beannaithe, holds a cure – often for sore eye or warts while Tobar Slanán, a health giving well, as the name suggest, contains water that is good for you and may or […]
On Wells 2: the Water & the Cure
The most significant thing about a holy well is of course the water. Not all wells are wells though, they can be springs, lakes, scoops in rock, ponds, hollows in trees or part of a stream. And not all wells now contain water – 37 holy wells visited were dry. Hopefully a few of those […]
A tale of Saints & Sheep: Tobar na Molt, Ardfert
A trip to Kerry and a chance to take a quick excursion to a well I have long wanted to visit – Tobar na Molt, Well of the Wethers, in Ardfert just north east of Tralee. I have always been intrigued by the name and this entry from the Schools’ Folklore Collection offers an explanation: […]