St Brendan's Well, Valentia Island, Kerry

Описание: St Brendan’s Well, Valentia Island
In the middle of Emlagh Bog on Valentia Island can be found St. Brendan’s Well or Tobar Olla Bhréanainn in Irish. Holy wells are quite common in Ireland. St Brendan’s well is one of at least 35 in Iveragh – and several thousand in Ireland. Many of these are associated with healing properties and often are the subject of local folklore.
In this well a mix of old and new features can be seen, from eighth century stone crosses to benches made out of railways sleepers and recent offerings left at the well.
As can be seen the well is still used, offerings of various types are left here, candles, rosary beads, crucifixes, religious statues, and many other things, even some plants.

As might be guessed the well is named after St. Brendan, probably Kerry’s most famous saint, who lived during the sixth century and is famously associated with his legendary voyage or Navigatio Sancti Brendani Abbatis (Voyage of Saint Brendan the Abbot), which probably dates from the ninth of tenth centuries.
According to island tradition, St. Brendan sailed to Valentia, landing near Cullo Rock, where he met and anointed/baptised two sick pagans.

Around the well are three stone crosses, possibly from the eighth century, and a cross slab sitting beside the well itself. Two of the crosses have are been set upright in cement, having almost been swallowed by the expanding bog (around 75cm of peat grew up around one of the crosses).
Let us look at these crosses. The two nearest the well are around a meter high and are somewhat worn. The third one, which to get to you have to climb over a fence is more majestic. It looks back across the island and towards the Atlantic. On a sunny day, the view from it is breath taking, the Blaskets, Dingle and Doulous Head in Cahirciveen are all clearly visible. It also has a cross carved into it as can be seen here.

Near to the well traces were found of a stone trackway, possibly to the well, which was dated at the archaeologists at 1750 Before Present. In other words, use of the well may have predated the Christian era. This make sense considering that other sites nearby, including walls and trackways, have been dated back to the Bronze Age

A distinctive feature of Irish holy wells are what are called rounds. There were often performed on the pattern day – the feast day of the patron saint, 16 May for St. Brendan - and consisted of walking around the well, often in a clockwise direction, saying specific prayers. These could last for hours. Although the popularity of the rounds declined in the nineteenth century, apparently discouraged by the church. Often due to the misbehaviour of people, such as drinking and fighting! In the second half of the twentieth century they were rediscovered and ‘reimagined.’