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Holy Wells of Cork & Kerry

not all who wander are lost

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trout

The Holy Girl & the Wayward Boys: St Dahalin’s Well, Kerry Head

20th October 2019 7 Comments

 Once upon a time there was a holy girl who founded a small religious cell for women on the green slopes of Kerry Head. Here she passed her time in contemplation and general goodness. Some wayward boys decided to cause havoc and set out to either abduct her or make mischief. The holy girl was […]

Filed Under: Other Tagged With: Ballyheigue Ballyheigue Castle Bryan MacMahon cilleen dogs Eyes fish Kerry Head Laimhín Crosby Mass Rev Jerry Kirby Richard Cantillon rounds Schools' Folklore Project St Dahalin St Erc The Kerryman trout

Cream Pies & Crubeens: Pattern Day in Ballyheigue

15th September 2019 11 Comments

The most important day in a holy well’s spiritual and social calendar was the pattern day – the day when the patron of the well was celebrated. Up until the early 1800s patterns days were common at most wells and were frequently boisterous affairs attended by literally hundreds of people. (See Pilgrimage, Partying & Paying […]

Filed Under: North Kerry Tagged With: Banna Strand Bishop of Kerry Blessed Virgin Mary cream pies crubeens Duchás Photographic Collection Eyes grotto Irish Times Kerry Mary Brenneman Mass North Kerry offerings pattern day quartz rounds Schools' Folklore Project Stations of the Cross statue trout Walter Brenneman

Some Favourite Wells of 2018

30th December 2018 4 Comments

It’s been a good year for well hunting, worthy of a quick round up of some of my favourite sites. I reckon I have visited around 150 or so holy wells in the last twelve months, all unique and all in different states of preservation, activity and care. Although most wells are to be found […]

Filed Under: Other Tagged With: Archaeological Inventory Avebury Ballybrack Blessed Virgin Mary Burnfort Buttevant; Cattle cross slabs cursing stones; Derryroe frog high cross Kenmare Kerry Kilpadder Millstreet Mushera Mór Rathcormack Mountain Rheumatism River Awbeg Silbury Hill St Baoithin St Bericheart St John the Baptist St Michael St Peter and St Paul St Ruadháin Tipperary trout Warts

A tale of Saints & Sheep: Tobar na Molt, Ardfert

20th November 2018 13 Comments

A trip to Kerry and a chance to take a quick excursion to a well I have long wanted to visit – Tobar na Molt, Well of the Wethers, in Ardfert just north east of Tralee. I have always been intrigued by the name and this entry from the Schools’ Folklore Collection offers an explanation: […]

Filed Under: North Kerry Tagged With: Altar An Túr Gloine Ardfert Bishop Erc bloodhounds Danes Lameness Mass Michael Healy. Patrick Logan Penal Times penitential pilgrimage pilgrims' shelter rag tree rounds Schools' Folklore Project St Brendan St Erc St Ita statues tomb chest trout Tubrid wethers

Chalk & Cheese: two very different wells near Burnfort

4th September 2018 13 Comments

The last two wells in the latest North Cork exploration were like chalk and cheese, wonderful contrasts to show just how different holy wells can be. But first a diversion to Island Wedge tomb (CO042-056001) in the same townland as the first well. Island Wedge Tomb This took some finding – just a few miles […]

Filed Under: North Cork Tagged With: Burnfort Colonel Grove White Eyes Island Wedge Tomb Midsummer offerings pilgrimage rag tree rounds Schools' Folklore Project St John statue trout

Two Prophets: St Colmcille & St Moling

23rd July 2018 11 Comments

I’m still off piste and this week in County Kilkenny. I will eventually return to Cork but there’s more to come on Moling! First stop Inistioge and a well dedicated to St Colmcille. St Colmcille’s Well, Tobar Cholmcille  What a very pretty place right on the River Nore. It was all go and there were […]

Filed Under: Other Tagged With: bile blessed tree County Kilkenny Eyes font Four Prophets of Ireland Inistioge Inistioge Priory Jerpoint Abbey Mullinakill. offerings pilgrimage River Nore rounds Schools' Folklore Project sore feet South Kilkenny Historical Society St Colmcille St John's Bulletin St Moling St Mullins. Stations of the Cross Throats trout

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