A quick shout out out to the Irish Pilgrim Journey which is taking place from 15- 22th June this year, 2024, described as: … a fully-guided mid-summer walk along Ireland’s passported pilgrim paths, with all logistics taken care of, it enables walkers to obtain the required stamps for the Irish Pilgrim Passport in 6 days […]
St Brendan
In Praise of Well Keepers
I am in the early stages of collaborating on an art project focusing on holy wells. Marie Brett is leading the project and approached me with inquiries about locating possible holy wells. After a lot of difficulty I narrowed it down to four wells, two in North Cork and two in North Kerry, all visited […]
Secrets, signs and sore eyes: Lispole part 2
After our early morning searching for heads, Billy and I left the others to coffee and went in search of Tobar an Rúin, the Well of the Secret, which proved to be exceptionally well named! Tobar an Rúin, Toberaroon, Well of the Secret, St Gobnait’s Well Encouragingly Billy had been to the well the year […]
St Finán Cam: the Squinty One
On the lookout for St Gregory’s Well, Tobar i Choill, in Glenbeigh, a chance conversation in the excellent Emilie’s café alerted us to St Finán’s Well. St Gregory proved elusive, too overgrown, but St Finán’s Well turned out to be a much loved and distinguished well in an imposing situation, located about two kilometres out […]
St Macadaw’s Well: yet to be discovered
Kerry Head is a tiny peninsula jutting out into the Atlantic, the very limit of North Kerry. It is incredibly scenic and remote but home to several interesting holy wells. Today’s destination was St Macadaw’s church and holy well in the townland of Glenderry, a place of much folklore and tradition connected with one particular […]
An Epic Pilgrimage for Michaelmas
There is a very picturesque area near Baile an Sceilg, Ballinskelligs, on the Iveragh Peninsula in Kerry known as the Glen. It stretches from Duchalla Head to Puffin Island, encompassing the enigmatic Skellig Rocks nine miles off the coast. The most famous rock, Sceilg Mhíchíl, Skellig Michael, was an early Christian settlement, where the monks […]