Unbelievably is seems that ten years have passed since I first ventured out, rather naively it has to be said, on my quest to visit and record the state of the holy wells in County Cork. My original motives were curiosity and a desire to see a bit more of the county, a good project for my recent retirement. I hadn’t really thought it through and wasn’t expecting to be so entranced and absorbed by my peregrination. When I set out I knew very little about the traditions or folklore surrounding holy wells nor about the attendant rituals and etiquette. I’ve had my eyes opened in all respects. These are a few of my experiences.
St Gobnait
Heading East: Wandering through Waterford, Wexford and Wicklow
I was recently invited to participate in the the Wellsprings of Éiríu event in County Wexford, organised by Áine Fortune of Embodied Soul. It was a long drive but it is always nice to meet up with like minded people. There were six speakers but what was especially welcome was that Áine left plenty of […]
A mysterious well at the end of the world – St Erc, Kerry Head
I have unsuccessfully tried to find St Erc’s Well on two previous occasion and written about my first experience here. It has played on my mind however, and another trip to North Kerry in the company of Himself and Finola from Roaringwater Journal, provided an opportunity for a third, and hopefully, fruitful exploration. St Erc’s […]
Ringing in the old & the new: a round up of explorations in 2024
It’a always interesting to look back on a year and see where I’ve been and what I’ve done. It didn’t feel as though I’d visited many holy wells this year as much of my time had been taken up with the project Well, Well, Well?, working with artist Marie Brett. This immersive and creative project […]
An unveiling: two new statues of St Gobnait revealed
One of the extraordinary rituals still maintained on St Gobnait’s feast day, 11th February, involves a much worn thirteenth century oak statue, a depiction of the saint herself. It is only made available for veneration for two days a year, the feast day and Whitsunday, when it is placed in the church in Baile Bhúirne, […]
The curious, the scenic and the challenging – a 2023 round up
It’s been a busy year for holy well work and the main excitement was the publication of my book Holy Wells of County Cork. This was kindly launched by Gary Branigan, author of Ancient and Holy Wells of Dublin and was hosted by the Working Artist Studios, Ballydehob. The book of course took much longer […]