St Michael’s Well, Tobernhulla, Well of the Anointing I was sent an image of this well by Michael O’ Sullivan who suggested that I visit it as part of my research in the holy wells of County Cork. I was amazed I hadn’t come across it before and it has proved too be a bit […]
St Michael
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 […]
Well, Well, Well? The making of an arthouse film
Fieldwork has taken a bit of a back burner this year for I have been involved in a very exciting project which has just come to fruition. Almost a year ago I was contacted by Marie Brett, an award winning visual artist, who wondered if I might be interested in working with her on an […]
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 […]
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 […]
Cill Rialagh: an elusive well on the edge of the world
Still in Kerry and a wild and remote spot on the agenda today – Cill Rialaigh, or Kildreelig, an early ecclesiastical settlement on a small headland, clinging onto the cliffs – with a holy well. First we were distracted by St Michael’s Well, Tobar Mhíchíl, near Ballinskelligs, visited before but always worth a revisit. We […]