Where do people in Ireland go to pray? The obvious answer is churches. But there are other places they go to that predate churches by thousands of years. They are called holywells, and there are hundreds of holy wells in Ireland.
pagan times
Most holy wells are actual wells, but they can be any small area of water. They are often situated near a grand old tree or stone. They can be near a church or cemetery or in a remote place in the countryside.
Ireland is traditionally a pagan country, and pagans believed that holy wells originated in the otherworld. They believed that they were places with sacred energy that could give them poetic inspiration, wisdom or healing.
In pagan times, people went to holy wells at particular times of the year, for example when the seasons changed. At these times, they believed that the otherworld became accessible to them. This was particularly true of the Celtic festival of Samhain on November 1st. This festival is now called Halloween and is celebrated internationally on October 31st.
science and religion
At the wells, people had special rituals. They drank and immersed themselves in the water. They threw in coins or other tokens. They walked in circles, called “patterns,” in the direction of the Sun. Women sometimes sat on big stones near the wells because they believed they promoted fertility.
People believed particular wells had particular powers, and now scientists have validated these beliefs. They have found that some wells believed to cure skin problems had a lot of sulphur in their water – and sulphur is good for your skin. And wells believed to help children to become stronger had waters rich in iron.
saints
St Patrick converted Ireland to Christianity in the 5th century. But holy wells continued to have a spiritual significance. Many of them are now named after Catholic saints like St Patrick, St Brigid and St Columba. And some of them have altars with statues of saints.
People of all beliefs and religions continue to visit the holy wells of Ireland. Many of them go there to pray and to perform their own special ritual. The Irish word for well is “tobar,” and most towns and villages that include a variation of the word “tobar” have a holy well. However, most holy wells are not on maps. So if you want to find one, you should probably ask a local for directions.
Here are some websites that can help you find holy wells in Ireland:
- www.irishcultureandcustoms.com
- http://irelandsholywells.blogspot.it
