April Horse fair, The Kindness of Friends and St. Senan's Well

Celtic crosses in St. Michael's  Cemetery, Listowel

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It's a Good Day When

Your friend brings you scones, just because.......

A U.S. friend sends a card to say she appreciates what you do.

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I wasn't the only one taking photos at the horse fair. I ran into Steve and Helena on Market Street.

 sellers, buyers and some of the goods and animals for sale on April 4 2019

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Spotted on a Listowel Window

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St. Senan's Well

Tarbert School collection. Nora Scanlon Dooncaha.

Our Holy Wells

There is a well in Tarmons known as St. Senan’s. It is in the corner of Buckley’s field in Ballintubber.

This well is not deep and a stream flows out of it. Always in the month of May people pay rounds at this well on every Saturday of the month.

This is how people pay rounds. People pick up seven pebbles out of the stream and then kneel down at the well and start reciting the Rosary. Then they start at the right hand side of the well and walk slowly all round reciting a decade of the Rosary while going round. At the end of each decade they throw one pebble away. Then when the seventh round is paid they kneel down and finish the Rosary. Then they take three drinks out of the well and wash their faces at the stream. Then they usually tie a piece of string on an overhanging bush. It is said that according as the cloth wears away the disease wears off the patient.

It is called St. Senan’s well because it was St. Senan who blessed its waters. From the well you can see the ruins of seven churches and round tower in Scattery built by St. Senan.

There are no fish in the well and the water is not used for household purposes. Once a woman went to fill her kettle at the well. She forgot to bring a vessel with which to fill her kettle. She left her kettle at the well and went back for a saucepan. When she returned the well had disappeared and the bush with it. It went from the top of the hill to the side where it is now.

Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

Collector- Bernadette O’ Sullivan- Informant Gerald O Sullivan, Age 60, Address, Tarbert, Co. Kerry