In Search of Ireland’s Holy Wells.
Author: HEALY, Elizabeth.
Dublin: Wolfhound Press, 2001. 120 pages. Illustrated. Paperback.
The veneration of water has been an integral part of Irish culture since ancient times. Today, at thousands of holy wells scattered throughout the land, the tradition continues.
Elizabeth Healy has travelled the length and breadth of Ireland, seeking out some of the more interesting wells, discovering their origins and learning the lore and customs that surround them. Fully illustrated in colour and black & white, In Search of Ireland’s Holy Wells not only outlines the cures sought at the wells, but also examines the pre-Christian practices surrounding them, and recalls the famous saints — including Brigid, Patrick, Colmcille, Kilian and Feichin — remembered at different locations throughout the year.
Whether you prefer to travel by car, on foot, or from the comfort of your own armchair, In Search of Ireland’s Holy Wells invites you to join Elizabeth Healy on this unique journey of discovery.
Contents:-
Introduction
1 The Pattern at the Well
2 Why ‘Holy’?
3 Wells in the Capital
4 When Spring Begins
5 The Hawk’s Well?
6 The Rituals
7 ‘The Saint’s Road’
8 Discoveries and Surprises
9 Fore and its Seven Wonders
10 … Toberara’s Well Flows
11 Colmcille and Doon
12 Maumeen
13 From Mullagh to Wurzburg
14 Some Island Wells
15 Saving the Wells
References
Index
ISBN: 0863278655
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