Dublin Core
Title
Well of the Holy Women
Description of Well Item Type Metadata
1 Name of well and saint
Well of the Holy Women, dedicated to three sisters that became nuns and blessed the well.
2 Townland, County, GPS
County -- Donegal
Townland -- Rannakilla
Townland -- Rannakilla
5 Pattern day
June 23 - 29
6 Offerings
Items such as rags, coins, beads, etc. may be left at the well.
7 Prayer rounds and stations
There is a nearby altar that an adherent must make a certain number of rounds around before extracting water from the well. Before water can be taken for personal use, three drops must be poured out in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost. Only then may the individual take a bottle of the water that can then be used for its miscellaneous curative properties. The bottle must also be corked with natural materials such as moss or grass found near the well.
8 Stories
Fishermen are said to have prayed at the well for protection before going out to sea.
9 Publications
Szövérffy, Joseph. 1955. "The Well of the Holy Women: Some St. Columba Traditions in the West of Ireland." The Journal of American Folklore 68 (268): 111-122.