School: Inis Arcáin, Dún na Séad (roll number 14065)
- Location:
- Gneeves, Co. Cork
- Teacher: Risteárd Mac Carrthaigh
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0295, Page 194
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- XML School: Inis Arcáin, Dún na Séad
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- XML “The Holy Well”
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- 1. The Holy Well is situated on the hillside overlooking Horseshoe Bay. It is a small well surrounded by small fuchsia bushes. There is an old legend connected with it that people get cured there and on that account it is visited at certain times such as May Eve and St John's Night. If a little bird is heard chirping when a person suffering from and disease is praying there it is considered a very good sign of being cured. It is the custom of the people to take something with them when they visit it, such as a part of a rosary beads , a medal , a bunch of flowers, or a bit of rag.
People usually cross the hills when they visit the Holy Well. It is said the Well takes it's Irish name (Tobar na nGabha) from an old smith in the old times.The water in the well is always quite fresh and it never goes dry. When a person wants to get his wish, he must walk around the well and say four Hail Marys each time he walks around. Once in the month of January there were primroses seen there while there(continues on next page)
