Overview

The verdant landscape of Ireland is dotted with holy wells-small springs, pools, and ponds that hold spiritual and often curative meaning to locals. Sadly, many of these sites have been lost to development, despite being associated with daily devotions and indigenous saints never canonized by the Catholic Church. To celebrate and protect the wells that remain, Holy Wells of Ireland examines these irreplaceable resources of spiritual, archaeological, and historical significance. Of the roughly 3,000 holy wells documented across Ireland, about a third are still visited; some attract international pilgrims and others are stewarded by a single family. This sense of spiritual tradition draws younger Irish generations to the wells even when they no longer consider themselves practicing Catholics. Holy wells are also home to flora and fauna deemed sacred to their patron saint and instrumental in their waters' curative powers. Featuring 140 color images, this remarkable volume shares the interdisciplinary work of contributors who study these wells through the overlapping lenses of anthropology, archaeology, art history, biomedicine, folklore, geography, history, and hydrology. Braiding community perspectives with those of scholars across academia, Holy Wells of Ireland considers Irish holy wells as a resilient feature of ever-evolving Irish Christianity, as places of pilgrimage and healing, and as threatened biocultural resources.

Full Product Details

Author:   Celeste Ray ,  Finbar McCormick ,  Patrick McAteer ,  Gerry A. Quinn
Publisher:   Indiana University Press
Imprint:   Indiana University Press
ISBN:  

9780253066688

ISBN 10:   0253066689
Pages:   448
Publication Date:   26 September 2023
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   To order  
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.

Table of Contents

"Acknowledgments An Introduction to the Holy Wells of Ireland, by Celeste Ray Unit 1: Natural Features of Holy Well Landscapes 1. Sacred Stones by Healing Wells, by Celeste Ray 2. Cranfield Stones at St. Olcan's Well, County Antrim, by Celeste Ray and Patrick McAteer 3. Healing Soils and Holy Wells of County Fermanagh, by Gerry A. Quinn 4. The Plants and Animals Associated with Holy Wells in Irish Folk Tradition, by Niall Mac Coitir 5. The Submerged Well of Many Names, Lacken, County Wicklow, by Geraldine Lynch 6. The Water Sources and Chemistry of Irish Holy Wells, by Bruce Misstear, Laurence Gill, Cora McKenna, and Ronan Foley Unit 2: Holy Wells in Irish Christianity 7. The Conversion Function of Holy Wells in the Tripartite Life of Patrick, by Claire Collins 8. Holy Wells of County Clare, by Michael Houlihan and Maura Egan 9. Holy Wells, Saintly Authority, and the Fountain of Life in Early Irish Hagiography, by Shane Lordan 10. Tobar Chuáin agus Brocáin at Mothel, County Waterford, by Eugene Broderick 11. Saint Colmcille's Well, Doonierin, County Sligo, by Tamlyn McHugh 12. St. Mochua's Well, Derrynoose, County Armagh, by John Makem 13. Curative Waters and Penance: The Many Traditions of Irish Holy Wells, by Finbar McCormick 14. Tobar Phádraig, Monivea, County Galway, by Christy Cunniffe 15. Two County Fermanagh Wells, by Janet Cassidy and Fred Ternan Unit 3: The Cure 16. Holy Wells and ""The Cure"" in Twentieth-Century Ireland, by Carol Barron 17. Father Moore's Well, County Kildare, by Suzanne Pegley 18. The Holy Wells of County Cork, by Amanda Clarke 19. Holy Wells of North Leinster: A Medical Geography, by Ronan Foley 20. St. Brigid's Well, Liscannor, County Clare, by Rita McCarthy Unit 4: Pilgrimage and Patterns 21. Tents, Ale-Poles, and Pattern Pies: An Examination of the Temporary Shelters and Food of the Pattern Day 1700–1950, by Shane Lehane 22. Mám Éan, by Michael Gibbons and Anja Renkes 23. Rock, Bell, Steeple: Revisiting the Ardmore Pattern, County Waterford, by Stiofán Ó Cadhla 24. St. Fiachra's Well at Ullard, County Kilkenny, by Edward N. Moran 25. St. Patrick's Well at Holywell, County Fermanagh, by Janet Cassidy Unit 5: Irish Identities and Evolving Devotions 26. Shaping Ireland: The Holy Well in Irish Painting, by Anne Cormican 27. Mo Griffith: A Water Liberator, by Celeste Ray, Annie Griffith, and Hannah Chew 28. Irish Travellers and Holy Wells, by Attracta Brownlee 29. Devotional Heritage on Inishark and Inishbofin, by Ryan Lash 30. The Holy Wells of County Dublin, by Gary Branigan 31. Cillíní (Children's Burial Grounds) and Holy Wells in Early Modern Ireland, by Colm Donnelly and Eileen Murphy 32. The Ecumenical Re-Opening of St. John the Baptist's Holy Well in Drumcondra, County Dublin, by Bernadette Masterson 33. Layered Resonance at Abbeyswell, County Cork, by Ray Cashman 34. The Destruction of St. John's Well at Warrenstown, County Meath, by Noel French 35. Afterword, by Celeste Ray and Finbar McCormick Index"

Reviews

"""Deeply rooted in the rich cultural and natural heritage of Ireland, Holy Wells of Ireland celebrates the sacred allure of our holy wells, shedding light on the spiritual, historical, archaeological and ecological significance of these cherished sites. Through the lenses of various disciplines, the contributors unveil the profound connections between faith, pilgrimage, and the preservation of our natural environment. With contributions from a diverse group of experts, this comprehensive exploration offers a multidisciplinary perspective on the significance of holy wells in Irish life and identity. From their spiritual and historical importance to their role in preserving biodiversity, Holy Wells of Ireland serves as a testament to the enduring legacy of holy wells and the urgent need to safeguard the vital elements of our precious biocultural resources.""--Michael D. Higgins, President of Ireland ""A deep dive into Ireland's divine waterholes, sacred springs, and mystical hydro-portals, this book will change how you regard and experience the landscape of Ireland. Like a powerful well, it bubbles with insights, theories, and fables about these watery realms and therapeutic refuges.""--Manchán Magan, author of Listen to the Land Speak ""In pre-Christian times, sacred wells were considered to be a portal to the underworld and the trees that grew beside them a bridge between the earth and the heavens. This book is a magnificent homage to this ancient respect which lingers to this day.""--Éanna Ní Lamhna, author of Our Wild World"

"""A deep dive into Ireland's divine waterholes, sacred springs, and mystical hydro-portals, this book will change how you regard and experience the landscape of Ireland. Like a powerful well, it bubbles with insights, theories, and fables about these watery realms and therapeutic refuges.""--Manchán Magan, filmmaker, broadcaster, and author of Thirty-Two Words For Field, Author of Listen to the Land Speak ""In pre-Christian times, sacred wells were considered to be a portal to the underworld and the trees that grew beside them a bridge between the earth and the heavens. This book is a magnificent homage to this ancient respect which lingers to this day.""--Eanna Ni Lamhna - environmentalist, author and national broadcaster"

Author Information

Celeste Ray is Professor and Chair of Anthropology and Environmental Arts & Humanities at Sewanee: The University of the South. She is author of The Origins of Ireland's Holy Wells and of Highland Heritage: Scottish Americans in the American South. She is editor most recently of Sacred Waters: A Cross-Cultural Compendium of Hallowed Springs and Holy Wells. Finbar McCormick is a retired Senior Lecturer from the School of Natural and Built Environment at Queen's University Belfast. He is author (with Aidan O'Sullivan, Thomas R. Kerr, and Lorcan Harney) of Early Medieval Ireland, AD 400–1100: The Evidence from Archaeological Excavations and (with Emily Murray) of Knowth and the Zooarchaeology of Early Christian Ireland.

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