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 […]
St Abbán
A Peregrination Part 3: The home run
Having toured North Cork in part 2 of her peregrination, visited three possible sisters and a brother, St Gobnait remains in County Cork for the last leg of her journey; but before embarking on the home straight makes an inexplicable journey down to West Cork – sure, why wouldn’t you! Kilgobbin, Ballinadee St Gobnait then […]
Old Friends Revisited
A final trip into the Gaeltacht Mhúscraí was required to find three unvisited wells. We intended to stay in the area for three days, Himself walking the Slí Muscrai Gaeltacht. I also had a motley quartet in my sights around Newtownshandrum. But we were slightly thwarted by the weather: no, not torrential rain or floods or […]
Diversions in Tipperary Part 1
This blog seems to be expanding geographically! I have just been to County Carlow for a few days, a journey which seemed to go through many different counties and was full of interesting places on the way including a host of holy wells which just had to be visited and recorded, so the next few […]
En route to Mitchelstown
Well hunting is always an enjoyable experience especially when you devote a few days to it. Wells in North Cork beckoned. We stayed for a few days in Mitchelstown in the very comfortable Ballinwillin House, complete with free range deers and boars. A welcome break on the M8 on the way up saw a diversion […]
On the Trail of St Lachteen
Today we ventured inland into the Gaeltacht in the search of St Lachteen. St Lachteen (526- 622AD) is patron saint of the Kilnamatrya area, cill na matra meaning church of the relic. This relic in question was an armbone of the saint, housed in an extraordinary artefact: the Lámh Lachtáin. The gorgeous reliquary dates from […]