Dublin Core
Title
St. Flainn's Well
Description of Well Item Type Metadata
1 Name of well and saint
St. Flainn's well also honors the Blessed Virgin Mary
2 Townland, County, GPS
Cloonnafinneela, Kerry
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
"The well is surrounded by a wall and over it grows a large yew tree which is laden with offerings and decorated with beautiful flowers." (SFC 0412:221) It is also said that the well is on a hill near the river Rae and that the ruins of Saint Flainn's hermitage are close by. A statue of teh Blessed Virgin Mary is part of the site shrine. (See Amanda Clarke's description:https://holywellscorkandkerry.com/2019/11/03/signage-paths-no-cows-three-wells-in-north-kerry/)
4 Cure
The holy well contains a cure for blindness. (SFC 0412:221)
5 Pattern day
April 30th, or May Eve, is the pattern day associated with St. Flainn's well. It is celebrated with an open air mass and a procession from a church close by called St Mary's along the river and to the well. (Clark, 2019: https://holywellscorkandkerry.com/2019/11/03/signage-paths-no-cows-three-wells-in-north-kerry/)
6 Offerings
Flowers, figurines, and rosaries are left by the statue of the Virgin Mary on top of the well. It is also said that votives are left on the yew tree close to the well. (SFC 0412:221)
7 Prayer rounds and stations
"When saying the Rosary a person should begin at the well and proceed to the right up a little hill and round the well and then finish it at the well." (SFC 0412:221)
8 Stories
The most common story about this well seems to be its origin story: A man called Saint Flainn became blind in his old age and, because of his devotion to her, the Virgin Mary came to him and offered him the cure to his blindness. Instead of accepting this healing and regaining his sight he asked that cure be put into the well so that many people after him could be cured of their eye ailments instead. (Kilflynn; GoKerry.ie)
9 Publications
Galvin, John. A Social History of Rural Ireland of the 1950s: Remembering Crotta