The road between Drimoleague and Bandon offers the opportunity for many holy well diversions – all of them obscure and quite tricky to find, but all worth pursuing. Today there were four wells on the agenda, each clearly marked on the OS map (Discovery Series 86 covers this area). Well of the Baptisms, Tobar a’Bhaiste, Tobernabastia, Nedinagh […]
Schools' Folklore Project
Two incredibly hard to find wells on the Mizen
I knew these two wells might be a little challenging, but the sun was shining, they were fairly close together and it seemed a great excuse to drive out to the very end of the Mizen Peninsula. Well of the Saints, Tobar na Naomh, Tobaraneeve,Dunlough The drive out to Dunlough Head is stupendous. The roads get […]
Blessed Well, Rossbrin, West Cork
I had heard that a holy well lay somewhere down by the sea at Rossbrin and though it deserved an exploration. First I decided to visit the castle, newly up for sale. This rather wonky but atmospheric stack is all that remains of Fineen O Mahony’s fifteenth century tower house, once renowned for its scholarship […]
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 […]