29 Comments

Really good, such a respectful and insightful description of these wells.

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How beautiful. I love these people sized places of worship. Secret, hidden but yet, still visited. Did you leave a rag in the tree?

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Love how humble and hidden they are...many yrs ago we traveled in the Alentejo (Portugal) following a simple paper map of paleolithic sites. Was so refreshing to be virtually alone without any commercial fanfare..no kiosks selling stuff.

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This sounds like another one of those "thin places", where the barrier between the earthly and the spiritual realms is, at least, semi-permeable. This does not apply to all remote places here in Ireland, there are an abundance of out of the way spots, on bogs, glensides, or hills, which do not evoke the calm and serenity of the "thin places", which are frequently in proximity to well sites or early ruined chapels. The idea of "thin places" fits well with the Irish belief held even in pre-Christian times, that there was another dimension, only occasionally glimpsed, throughout this remarkably beautiful island.

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Love this, thank you.

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This may be my favorite well so far. Are human heads like the one depicted a common sight on these ancient structures?

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Beautiful and moving. The coins in the well were disconcerting to me in being a reminder that many look to God as needing to be bribed for His favors. God, as the wells remind us, is always there, whether we are or not, always a source of life, both earthly and eternally. And whatever we receive from it is always replenished for the next pilgrim or the next time we visit.

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founding

Beautiful Paul. Thank you. When ever I see images of these ancient stone walls and buildings I feel somewhat sad. Like a homesickness of sorts or the missing of a loved one. I’ve never visited Ireland but I can feel the pull so strongly.

I feel to weep for this lost craft and slow dedicated way of life.

Thank you for sharing your pilgrimages to these wells with us.

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Another beautiful spot. Rich with the whispers of ancient souls, yourself now counted among them.

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A beautiful place, Paul. Thank you for taking me to it.

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"The times we live in have made pilgrimages individual enterprises, like so much else. But a few of us still make them, and when we find places like this, nestled in this old, deep peace, we perhaps remember why." These beautiful closing words warmed this pilgrim's heart.

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You might be interested to know that there are icons of the Annunciation where Mary is at a well when St. Gabriel appears.

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Here's an article about an ancient British practice that sounds like the opposite of holy wells. Witch bottles held relics desecrated by witches, in order to absorb and contain the evil.

https://news.yahoo.com/eerie-witch-bottles-washing-along-125715625.html

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