Fish Stone Water: The Holy Wells of Ireland

by Anna Rackard, Liam O'Callaghan

Holy wells are places of popular religious devotion. At many of them the waters are believed to have healing powers; some are even supposed to have power over the weather. There are hundreds of these wells all over Ireland, many of them still in use. They vary greatly in appearance — some are very simple, decorated only with rounded river pebbles, while others are highly ornate and adorned with holy statues, medals, rosary beads, flowers, and candles. This book captures the unique spirit of fifty wells (of the 200 visited by the authors) through stunning photography and illuminating text, exploring the individuality of each well, their many forms and setting, and the assorted personal offerings that decorate them. Many are endangered archaeological sites. The authors visited the wells on their special days of devotion, "pattern days, " to record the activities at those shrines. A map and glossary are also included.