There are benefits to being the designated driver – not many, but some.
With the rest of the house still in a slumber fuelled by drinking into the early hours, I was up and out in the Limerick countryside early on a bright sharp Saturday morning. The rural location and time of day conspired to restrict the number of other road users that I came across to just one.
We had passed the sign to St. Brigit’s Well on a few occasions when travelling to friends, but we had never stopped and paid a visit. That box was ticked firmly that Saturday, just me and nature.
The Well is a bit of a walk from the road – up and over the field; down a wooded passageway beyond the electric fence; across another field; then another glade opens up to reveal the Well site. The site is enclosed by a stone wall with a solitary gate. The well itself has a concrete surround with the statue above.
There is an old donation box in the wall which appears to be rusted shut. There were a small few memorial cards adjacent to the statue – nowhere near the amount left with St Bridget in Co Clare.
There are two Rag Trees, one adjacent to the well; the other on the final wooded pathway before the Well site.
Driving away, I spotted that there was a Lenten Walk later that day, including a visit to the well. As we were making our way home that morning, we spotted some on the walk and it brought some thoughts to the fore.
The walk organisers had arranged for Stations of the Cross along the route for the participants.
There were quite a few walkers that morning – more than one might observe leaving a city church after a Saturday morning mass.
With Pilgrim Walks and Pattern Days, I do think that any increase in catholic religious observance may involve old traditions – but this agnostic may not be the best judge of such matters.
Even with my religious persuasion, a very pleasant twenty minutes were enjoyed that morning.
With the rest of the house still in a slumber fuelled by drinking into the early hours, I was up and out in the Limerick countryside early on a bright sharp Saturday morning. The rural location and time of day conspired to restrict the number of other road users that I came across to just one.
We had passed the sign to St. Brigit’s Well on a few occasions when travelling to friends, but we had never stopped and paid a visit. That box was ticked firmly that Saturday, just me and nature.
The Well is a bit of a walk from the road – up and over the field; down a wooded passageway beyond the electric fence; across another field; then another glade opens up to reveal the Well site. The site is enclosed by a stone wall with a solitary gate. The well itself has a concrete surround with the statue above.
There is an old donation box in the wall which appears to be rusted shut. There were a small few memorial cards adjacent to the statue – nowhere near the amount left with St Bridget in Co Clare.
There are two Rag Trees, one adjacent to the well; the other on the final wooded pathway before the Well site.
Driving away, I spotted that there was a Lenten Walk later that day, including a visit to the well. As we were making our way home that morning, we spotted some on the walk and it brought some thoughts to the fore.
The walk organisers had arranged for Stations of the Cross along the route for the participants.
There were quite a few walkers that morning – more than one might observe leaving a city church after a Saturday morning mass.
With Pilgrim Walks and Pattern Days, I do think that any increase in catholic religious observance may involve old traditions – but this agnostic may not be the best judge of such matters.
Even with my religious persuasion, a very pleasant twenty minutes were enjoyed that morning.
