A few days in east Cork on a holy well expedition proved fascinating and rewarding. The very first well visited was probably one of my all time favourites and really the epitome of all that’s special about Irish holy wells. Lady’s Well, Tobar Mhuire, Titeskin Near the ruins of the old church of Titeskin (or […]
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In the footsteps of St Fachtna
Today, 13th August, is the Feast Day of St Fachtna. At least I think it is! It was originally the 14th of August but sometime in the 1960s, the General Roman Calendar, which seems to decided these things, offered the day to St Maximilian Kolbe instead, and St Fachtna was given the 13th. Anyway, it […]
Three sisters, Two wells
The area around Cullen in North Cork reveres three saintly sisters: St Lasair, St Laitairian and St Inghne Bhuidhe – the spellings of these names vary enormously! Who they were seems complicated. Some accounts refer to them as being from the north of England for the wonderfully named St Beirechert (also spelled in a multitude […]
St Bartholomew’s Well, Tobar Partalam, near Bantry
This little well proved very elusive. I had tried on two previous occasions to locate it and had driven down small lanes, asked two women on horseback and generally found nothing. Armed with the GPS and a navigator, things proved a little easier the third time. We pulled into the corner and looked hopefully into […]
St Brigid’s Well, Castlemagner
This has to be one of my favourite wells visited so far. We had had an energetic day searching out holy wells in North Cork and this was the last on the agenda. It is not easy to find and seems to be on the fold of several different OS maps but eventually, after much […]