Holy Wells of Ireland

Tobar Nalt, Sligo

Known to be a sacred place of the Celts, this grove and its holy well were later taken over by Saint Patrick and re-dedicated to Christianity. The well of lovely, cold, transparent water bubbles up at the foot of a steep rock wall and flows towards Loch Gill in the distance. Near the center of the grove of trees, which surrounds the well, and just below the well itself, there is a healing stone with a depression at one end where you can lean your back for a cure for back pain. On top of this stone are four indentations, said to have been left by Saint Patrick, and if you rest your fingers, some of the saint’s powers are transferred to you. The Christian Pattern Day (pattern indicating the primary day of pilgrimage visitation) is the final Sunday in July each year. Just off the shore of Loch Gill is an island called Inishmore, which contains the ruins of an ancient church.

Saint Declan’s Well

Saint Declan's Well flows near the town of Ardmore in county Waterford, on the east side of town above the bay. The well was a place of healing in pagan times, and people bathed injured limbs in spring waters. Saint Declan founded the monastery at Ardmore before the time of Saint Patrick, and he is sometimes considered the father of Christianity in Ireland. Saint Declan's Day is July 24. The Ardmore monastery has one of Ireland's most beautiful round towers.

For more detailed information on the Holy Wells of Ireland, consult the following sources:

Logan, Patrick
The Holy Wells of Ireland

Pennick, Nigel
Celtic Sacred Landscapes

Meehan, Cary
The Traveler’s Guide to Sacred Ireland

Swan, James A.
The Power of Place: Sacred Ground in Natural and Human Environments (specifically Chapter 10, Holy Wells of Ireland, by Walter Brenneman Jr.)