Dublin Core
Title
Archangel Michael's well, St. Michael's well
Description of Well Item Type Metadata
1 Name of well and saint
St Michael’s Well, Bere island
2 Townland, County, GPS
Ballynakilla, Cork Co.
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
The well is nestled in a hillside. A large yellow cross marks the spot and a silver statue on a plinth depicting Archangel Michael wrestling with Satan.
4 Cure
sore eyes
5 Pattern day
September 29
6 Offerings
buttons and coins
7 Prayer rounds and stations
Every person says different prayers, but at an outer circle of stones, most pray "The Creed" and five" Our Fathers," five "Hail Marys" and five "Glorias." These are recited while circumambulating the well. With every Gloria they pick up a stone and drop it down again after completion of the set with their right hand. When they are coming home they always leave something after them. Some people leave a button after them. They toss the button in the air and if it comes down with a chosen side turned up, the person will have good luck, but if it comes down with the wrong side, the person will have bad luck. (Amanda Clarke)
8 Stories
Long ago on Michaelmas Day everyone turned towards the holy well, like a Fair day or a day at the Regatta at present. The people used to put up stalls and sell oranges and apples and wine, whiskey and porter and there used to be wrestling. They used to have dances and concerts and plays near the well. Known as the “holy stone” or “Godstone.” (Amanda Clarke).
9 Publications
Clarke, Amanda. "Gazetteer." Holy Wells of Cork. Accessed November 31, 2018. https://holywellsofcork.com/gazeteer/.
Ronan, S., Egan, U., Byrne, E., Farrelly, J., Manning, C., Moore, F., . . . Walsh, P. (n.d.). Archaeological Inventory of County Cork (Vol. 5). Dublin: The Stationary Office.
Ronan, S., Egan, U., Byrne, E., Farrelly, J., Manning, C., Moore, F., . . . Walsh, P. (n.d.). Archaeological Inventory of County Cork (Vol. 5). Dublin: The Stationary Office.