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Holy Wells of Cork & Kerry

not all who wander are lost

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St Colman

Circles, swastikas & labyrinths: enigmas on the Iveragh

19th January 2024 9 Comments

The first well expedition of the year set off at a cracking pace as we, in the company of the Roaringwaters, set off for the Iveragh Peninsula in Kerry, rock art and holy wells on our minds. After a damp, mild and very wet Christmas the second week in January was cold, crisp and sunny […]

Filed Under: Iveragh Peninsula South Kerry Tagged With: bullaun cilleen Cloon Lake cross slabs Derrynablaha ITA Kerry leacht National Library of Ireland OPW pillar stone pink fish Roaringwater Journal rock art Shronahiree More St Colman

Three fields, three wells, three lads: exploring around Rathkeale

13th December 2022 8 Comments

Astonishingly the sun shone and the rain desisted on our big day out in the wilds of County Limerick, nine holy wells on the agenda! These three were all adrift in fields, all had male saints yet each was very different. St James’ Well, Ardgoul South St James’ Well was tricky to find and I […]

Filed Under: Limerick Tagged With: ash tree cilleen Eyes faction fighting Folklore Collection Main Manuscript Nantenan National Folklore Photographic Collection pattern percolation pilgrimage rounds Schools' Folklore Project sores St Bernard St Colman St James trout

Two wells on the Cork/Limerick border

23rd January 2022 8 Comments

Whilst in Limerick hunting down the Gobnait wells, it would have been rude not to visit a few others in the vicinity. In fact, I fear County Limerick might be calling! These two wells are literally on the border with Cork near Charleville, in fact they are both mentioned in the entries for County Cork […]

Filed Under: Limerick Tagged With: Blessed Virgin Mary BVM Castletown-Conyers Colmanswell Eamon de Valera icon offerings Our Lady pattern day pilgrimage Rheumatism rounds Schools' Folklore Project shrine sore eyes St Colman St Roch

On Wells 4: Pilgrimage, Partying & Paying the Rounds

7th January 2019 9 Comments

You can of course visit a holy well any day of the week but there are certain times when a visit is considered to be especially potent. The main day for visiting a well is the pattern day or pátrún day, usually celebrated on the patron saint’s feast day. St John’s wells are visited on […]

Filed Under: Other Tagged With: Act to Prevent Further Growth of Popery Ballyvourney Bantry Carrigaline Castletownbere Cullen Decree of Excommunication faction fighting Gougane Barra John Barrow Kealkil Lough Hyne Millstreet Mitchelstown pattern day PJ Hartnett sile na gig Southern Reporter St Bartholomew St Bridget St Colman St Fanahan St Finbarre St Gobnait St John St Olan Stations of Cross Synod of Tuam Thomas Crofton Croker Traits and Stories of the Irish Peasantry William Carleton William Wilde

On Wells 3: Saints & Sinners

13th December 2018 2 Comments

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 […]

Filed Under: Other Tagged With: Ali Isaac Bachall Ísu Bealtine Biddy Tree Blessed Virgin Mary Boann Cape Clear Carrigaline Colonel Grove White Feast of the Assumption Feast of the Immaculate Conception Gougane Barra Imbolc Kerry Kilnamartyra Kinsale Lunasa Marian year May Day Midsummer Millstreet Mór Pope John XV River Boyne River Lee Samhain Schools' Folklore Project St Bericheart St Bridget St Ciarán St Colman St Finnian St Gobnait St John the Baptist St Lachteen St Michael St Patrick

Some wells are invisible: exploring around Enniskean

27th March 2017 7 Comments

Some wells prove difficult! I had five wells on the agenda today, all remote and my expectations of finding anything were low. This proved entirely justified. But I did get to explore some beautiful areas in the crisp Spring sunshine. St Srufan’s Well, Drimoleague First stop, St Strufan’s Well, long vanished according to the Archaeological […]

Filed Under: West Cork Tagged With: Ballinacarriga Castle Ballingeary Historical Society; Bruno O Donoghue bullaun Cineal Laoghaire cloicteach Coolmountain Coppeen Desertserges Drimoleague Inchigeelagh John Windele Kinneigh National Library of Ireland railway station round tower St Colman St Mocholmóg St Patrick Warts West Cork Eagle WG Wood Martin William Frazer

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