Holy Wells

Almost every part of Ireland has at least one Holy Well, places usually associated with local saints and whose water is believed by many to have healing properties. There are over 3000 of them.

Some wells are still tended to carefully by local people, with flowers and nice planting surrounding them, some have statues close by and have had access improved with steps or cleared pathways. Others are hidden away and overgrown, but locals will be able to direct you to them.

Ancient Customs and New Beliefs

Tobernault Holy Well by dlkinney

The pre-Christian belief that drinking from or bathing in the water associated with gods or goddesses would confer gifts of wisdom or healing meld almost seamless with the Christian belief of healing bestowed by saints.

With the coming of Christianity to Ireland the old pagan wells, rather than being abandoned, were gradually given new significance in line with new beliefs, probably with the support of pragmatic missionaries.

Church authorities today are not generally supportive of the devotion shown by some Catholics for their local wells, but in spite of this an annual mass is still said at a number of them.

There is still a belief in many places that the water from a holy well will keep a person healthy, with some people traveling regularly to fill bottles with the water. If you look closely at the picture above you’ll see that a little metal cup has been thoughtfully provided for visitors. The reality is that the water is often contaminated, and should be drunk with great care, if at all.

Rags and Other Offerings

The wells are particularly important in the culture of Ireland’s nomadic travelling community, who regularly revisit the same wells year after year and leave votive offerings at them.

Quite a few wells have stones or statues close to them to which meaning or power is also attributed. Almost all rag trees are in the vicinity of a well.

Some wells are given particular reverence and the visible signs of this can be quite startling.

Brigid's Well, by wmshc_kiwi

At St Brigid’s Well in Liscannor, inside a small tunnel leading to the well itself, the walls are completely covered with pictures, pieces of clothing, toys, even dog collars left by those who believe that St Brigid will affect a cure or keep a loved one safe.

While this well is tended to by local nuns and greatly loved locally, the story of St Brigid is a classic of the pagan-becomes-Christian trend.

Practically every story told about St Brigid existed prior to the coming of Christianity and pertained to the pagan Celtic goddess Brigit, daughter of Dagda, one of the mythical Tuatha Dé Danann.

There are at least 15 other St Brigid’s Wells in Ireland and it is certain that most of them pre-date St Brigid.