All posts in Holy Well

  • February 21, 2013

    Sunday Well, Raffeen, Co. Cork

    Path leading down to the well. It is barely noticeable from the road.

    A photo of the short path leading down to the well, which has briars and different plants growing into it. The path is barely noticeable from the road.

    Holy Well surrounding by a simple stone structure with a stone drain channel running off.

    A photo showing the holy well at the end of the path. The well, on the right, is set into the hillside and is surrounding by a simple stone structure with a stone drain channel, capped by a slab at the well, running directly out from it. On either side of the well two rocks, which are part of the setting, each have a cross ingrained in them from pilgrims using stones.

    The well, referred to as ‘Sunday Well‘ in maps, is small and pleasant, although it looks like it is rarely used. The archaeological record refers to rounds which were performed their in the past. The site is clean and tidy, but the path down is slightly overgrown and unless you were looking for it, it is unlikely that you would see it. It seems as though it may be visited by a small number of people, presumably locals.

    The well occupies a space between sites of devotion and activity and ones which have been abandoned. In this, there is a something nice and intimate about visiting the site, although there is the risk that it may fall into disuse and poor repair.

     Archaeological Survey of Ireland Sites and Monuments Record (SMR) Number: CO087-017

    Location: 

     

    Source:

    CO087-017 (Archaeological Survey of Ireland, Record Details) on http://www.archaeology.ie. Posted: 14 Jan 2009

    No Comments / Holy Well /

  • February 11, 2013

    St Gobnait’s, Ballyvourney: 11th Feb 2013

    St Gobnait, who is venerated at different sites in the south of Ireland, has her feast day on 11th February. St Gobnait’s house and holy well in Ballyvourney, Cork, is one of the main sites of devotion associated with the saint. On the feast day or pattern day, people come to do the rounds and visit the well. The site located just outside the village is very well maintained an attracts visitors throughout the year.

    Pilgrims praying in the rain at the statue of St Gobnait

    Pilgrims praying in the rain at the statue of St Gobnait

    The grave of St Gobnait which is a focus of devotional activity. It is a station on the rounds and people frequently leave votive offerings here.

    The grave of St Gobnait which is a focus of devotional activity. It is a station on the rounds and people frequently leave votive offerings here.

    Looking down on the pilgrimage site from beside the statue. On of the wells is in the foreground, with the grave in the middle ground to the right and the old church, which is also part of the rounds, is in the background.

    Looking down on the pilgrimage site from beside the statue. One of the wells is in the foreground, with the grave in the middle ground to the right and the old church, which is also part of the rounds, is in the background.

    St Gobnait's Well which is adjacent to the graveyard; it is the final station on the rounds

    St Gobnait’s Well which is adjacent to the graveyard; it is the final station on the rounds

    Audio Recording: 

    A recording at St Gobnait’s Holy Well Ballyvourney Cork on 11th Feb 2013, the feast day of the saint. The recording captures the lifting a cup form above the well, taking up some water, drinking some, returning the water, the ambient sound in the well structure and returning the cup.

    Video showing the holy well: 

    Locating the Site: 

     

    Further reading: 

    Checkout Pilgrimage in Medieval Ireland‘s comprehensive blogpost on St Gobnait’s.

    1 Comment / Holy Well /

  • February 1, 2013

    St Brigid’s Well, Clare: 1st Feb 2013

    A selection of photographs and an audio recording taken today (St Brigid’s Day, 2013) at St Brigd’s Well, Liscannor Clare. There was a steady flow of people visiting the well. A mass was due to be held there at noon, weather permitting; however, it was said in the parish church instead. Most of the visitors took away a bottle of the water, while some engaged some in prayer patterns.  A number of votive offerings were left in the well and rags tied to the trees adjacent to the well and pattern route.

    St Brigid's Well, Liscannor, Clare St Brigid's Day 2013

    St Brigid’s Well, Liscannor, Clare. The well is located at the rear of an artificial grotto or passage way, which is filled with votive offerings.

    A group doing their 'rounds' at the statue.

    A group doing their ’rounds’ at the statue.

    Crowds gathering by the well, the queue to the well can be seen coming out of the archway.

    Crowds gathering by the well, the queue to the well can be seen coming out of the archway.

    A woman doing the 'rounds'

    A woman doing the ’rounds’

    An hay arch (hay wrapped over a metal frame) covers the entrance to the well, it is adorned with St Brigid's Crosses

    An hay arch (hay wrapped over a metal frame) covers the entrance to the well, it is adorned with St Brigid’s Crosses

    Collecting the holy water

    Collecting the holy water

    The visit to the well frequently involves a lighting of a candle. This little alcove is adjacent to the well, it's a lovely micro-space.

    The visit to the well frequently involves a lighting of a candle. This little alcove is adjacent to the well, it’s a lovely micro-space.

    A recording of the water in St Brigid’s Well

    No Comments / Holy Well /

  • January 24, 2013

    Waiting Cups

    DSC_0685

    A central part of the tradition surrounding holy wells is the consumption of the water. This photo shows three cups on top of the low wall surrounding Our Lady’s Well, Timoleague, Co. Cork, which is sunken into the ground. On the outside of the wall, the gravel of a path surrounding the well can be seen, while on the inside the wall leads down to the still water. The three cups – a simple metal handle-less one, an old porcelain one with faded writing and a plastic mug from Lough Derg – rest, casting shadows in the mid-winter morning, awaiting use in personal and communal acts of devotion and reflection. The objects embody beliefs, vernacular traditions and absent rituals. The presence of the Lough Derg cup is a nice link between this local spot and the national pilgrimage location.

    No Comments / Holy Well /

  • December 20, 2012

    Railings at St Olan’s

    The photo is focused on one of the railings by St Olan’s Well, Aghbullogue, Cork. The well is located next to a bend on the road, on the outside, where a railing, made up of a number of metal posts and two chains running parallel, separates the well-space from the road. The railings, which are each topped by a cross, and the chains are painted black, and the crosses white – which creates a nice feature. Although, the wearing of the chains as left many of the links with rusty patches. Blurred in the backround is the well’s beehive-structure and the Whitethorn tree that is growing out of it, and, to the right, a statue of Our Lady of the Immaculate Heart.

    The railings and similar features may not initially seem to be that significant; however, these components all contribute to the place and its character. Places can be considered to be assemblages of different elements, including natural features, representations, practices and objects. In this context, the St Olan’s well-space is the combined result of the well, the structure, the location, the performances of devotions, the railings and much more. As well as being an aesthetically pleasant focus, this photo literally foregrounds the role of elements such as the railings, which may otherwise be considered incidental.

    No Comments / Holy Well /

  • December 11, 2012

    Rag Tree St Gobnait’s Cork

    A collection of photos concerning the rag tree at St Gobnait’s monastic site in Ballyvourney, Co Cork. Clockwise from bottom left: a selection of larger objects at the base of the tree, including a motorbike helmet, a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, candle holders and flowers; a profile view of the rag tree located next to St Gobnait’s Well (obscured behind the tree) and the strips of material – from which these trees gain their name – hanging off different branches; a close perspective of very personal votive offerings, such as a keyring, a pen and lengths of wool, whose true meaning is only known to those who left them here; a number of rosary beads hanging together; a significant number of memorial cards and photos are pinned to tree, reinforcing its role as a place for personal reflection and communal expressions of grief.

    Comments Off / Holy Well /

  • December 4, 2012

    St Brigid’s Well: Water

    This is a short video clip of St Brigid’s Well, Liscannor, Co. Clare. The well is housed in a small grotto. A short passageway leads to the well, which is un-roofed allowing natural light in from above. The water flows out from the hillside and gathers in the well font. The video captures the steady gentle movement of the water, with its calming tones. A large range of statues, holy pictures and votive offerings, including rosaries, flowers (both fake and real) and small personal objects can be seen around the well. These objects cover spaces and shelves on the walls, and are jammed into any available gaps.

    No Comments / Holy Well /

  • November 27, 2012

    St Fanahan’s Well, 2012

     

    St Fanahan’s holy well complex, Mitchelstown, Co. Cork. A collection of photographs taken on the afternoon of Sunday, 25th November 2012, which is the feast day of St Fanahan. The seventh century saint, who is referred to as a warrior monk, is the patron of the town.

    Photos, clockwise from top left: The holy well site just north of Mitchelstown, the well, with a semi-circular concrete border, is to the fore, a stone cross, some trees and a circular path are behind it; the stone cross, including a sculpture of the saint, with a sword in his belt and holding a staff, above a serpent, and a number of artificial candles surround it; a group of pilgrims do the pattern around the site, involving rounding, saying decades of the rosary, stopping at the well, blessings themselves and consuming the water; a glass, with some well water still in it, stands on a flagstone by the well, left by one pilgrim, awaiting another.

    No Comments / Holy Well /

  • November 17, 2012

    Lady’s Well, Bantry

    Our Lady’s Well, Bantry, Co. Cork. The photos shows a rural holy well located a little outside the West Cork town of Bantry. The well is covered in a semi-circular shell-like structure which is decorated with stones embedded in a, presumably, concrete back. A small amount of water trickles out of the well and along some gravel. The well is located at the base of cliff-face, greenery and shrubs mostly surround it, with some bedrock as well, a gravel path runs in front of it. The water is rather stagnant. A cup rests next to the well.

    No Comments / Holy Well /
Newer Entries →