WEst Clare: Holy Wells and Island Saints

My friend Daniel has a thing for Holy Wells and on the Friday, we visited four of them on a road trip on the 'Wild Atlantic Way' - i.e. the rebranded road that goes around the coast of the western part of County Clare. Our final destination was the Cliffs of Kilkee, which our host had told us was a better bet than the Cliffs of Moher, which are touristed up the wazoo these days, and where parking would have cost us the price of a fancy meal. 

St Flannan was a 7th century saint who was the son of the King of Thomond (the kingdom in these parts before Ireland was united). He had an abbey at Killaloe. The well includes stations of the cross, and a lot of faded Irish kitsch. Daniel enjoyed this. 

St Bridget's Well near Lahinch is the best known holy well around these parts and was the only one where we encountered other tourists / pilgrims. The kitschness is next level. Like all the others, it has a path around it where pilgrism can walk as they say Hail Marys, and so on. 

St Margaret's Holy Well near Killinaboy was the most secluded of the four, and the best, for this reason. This is the ojnly one we've visited that wasn't named for an Irish saint - St Margaret of Antioch was martyred in the 4th century. Most of the Irish saints weren't martyred, they all seem to have done quite well, and were well connected to begin with. Her well cures sore eyes. 

Finally, St Kee's Well, stands near the cliffs of Kilkee. Nearby Bishop's Island is said to have been the place where he built his first 'Kil' (or Cell, i.e. a single roomed dweling or hermitage, a place for a saint to seek solitude, or the firtst building in a religious foundation.). Daniel and I wondered how on Earth he managed to get the stones up to the top of the island to build the thing - or even managed to get a ladder up there in the first place. 

Kilkee was incredibly beautiful and I wish we'd had longer there, but we had to get to the Feakle folk festival in east Clare, to see a harpist at 4pm, then get some food. The main event that night was three high-class folks acts in St Mary's Church, Feakle, at 7.30. All three acts were great. The final one was Martin Hayes, who is the best-known fiddler in the country right now. It was packed, and he was brilliant. I could go on and on about this gig, but maybe instead I will post a video, when I get time. I was glad to see this gig, because I had been a bit dejected about the quality of the festival the day before, but Friday night in Feakle was the musical highpoint of my trip. 

We got to bed at midnight. 

For the record, we've seen quite a few other holy wells in prior days - I think we are up to 8 or so now. There are hundreds around, some forgotten and overgrown, some still actively maintained. It's a sweet tradition, and one I would not have thought about much unless Daniel had been here.