Our Lady of the Fuchsia!
Lough Ine (or Hyne) is a marine lake in West Cork around
five kilometers from the town of Skibereen. Being rather shallow and yet highly
oxygenated it sustains an unusually high level of plant and animal life, many
of which are not found anywhere else in Ireland. It is a beautiful and a bit of
trap for tourists and Sunday afternoon drivers. If the sun is shining be
prepared to meet a minor traffic jam!
Lough Ine (Hyne)
Above the lake is a steep hill (Knockomagh Hill) with paths
winding around the bottom and all the way to the top. If you attempt the climb
to the top of the hill, even though it isn’t a particularly large hill, the
climb is nonetheless somewhat strenuous, but worth the views when you reach the
top. From this vantage point you
can get a glimpse of both the ruins of the castle on Castle Island (once
associated with the O’Driscoll clan) in the centre of the lake and the ruins of
Saint Brigid’s church on the opposite shore.
Tobarín Súl
The two holy wells in the area are known as Skour Well and
Tobarín Súl. Saint Brigid’s well is also beside the church ruins of the same
dedication and Saint Brigid is said to have spent some time in the area. Legend
has it that when she knelt to pray at a rock near the holy well, she left the
impressions of her knees! Following the path around the base of the hill you
will cross a small trickle of a stream and land on a path that begins a slow
climb uphill. On the right the first well that you will see is the Eye well, or
Tobarín Súl. This well is renowned throughout the area as being a very powerful
well to heal any complaints regarding eyesight or the eyes. Many offerings of
various kinds have been left by the well which is surrounded by a mound of
stones and various trinkets and offerings. A three trunked tree grows up out of
the back of the well and stands like a sentry. I couldn’t help but recall the
moment in the Gospel when Jesus begins to heal a blind man who says he can see
people like walking trees, and after Jesus lays hands on him a second time he
can see perfectly. Of this holy well’s past history I was unable to find
anything out.
Tokens left at the holy well
The next well is known as Skour well and is located just a short stretch
up the hill. It appears that this well’s dedication has either been forgotten
or it has never had a dedication. The word Skour probably comes from the Irish
‘sceabhar’ meaning ‘slope’ or ‘slant’, indicating its position on the side of
the hill. In the past, on May eve, pilgrims would come and make traditional
rounds at the well and drop a white stone. Today the well is surrounded by
these white stones, but the May eve pattern is a mass said by the local priest
and the well appears today to be thoroughly dedicated to the Blessed Virgin
Mary. Crude ‘icons’ of Our Lady litter the site and the traditional hawthorn bush
above the well holds the rags of passing pilgrims. A large stone structure
surrounds the well, much of which looks thoroughly modern.
Skour Well
In many ways this well is in grave danger of being
over-worked. Many wells throughout Ireland have disappeared precisely because
people have messed with the natural flow of watercourses and built large,
heavy structures around the wells. In some cases they have planted numerous
trees and the well has simply dried up. In this case, the well has almost been
swallowed up by the stone surround and the stones placed so carefully and
neatly around the base of the well. Despite this, there is something rather
appealing about this well which I think, for me, lies in the many white stones
brought by groups of pilgrims in the past and the naive 'icons'.
The well surround
Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly, Thou hast brought me to
the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see Thee in the heights;
hemmed in by mountains of in I behold Thy glory. Let me learn by paradox that
the way down is the way up, that to be low is to be high, that the broken heart
is the healed heart, that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, that the
repenting soul is the victorious soul, that to have nothing is to possess all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown, that to give is to receive, that
the valley is the place of vision. Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from
deepest wells, and the deeper the wells the brighter Thy stars shine; let me
find Thy light in my darkness, Thy life in my death, Thy joy in my sorrow, Thy
grace in my sin, Thy riches in my poverty, Thy glory in my valley, Thy water in
my well.
Amen.
Charles Spurgeon
A Child of Prague at the Eye well
How to find it:
From Lough Ine, take the path into the woods at the foot of
Knockomagh Hill. Follow the path around the foot of the hill, crossing a small
stream. The path then veers up to the left and up a slight slope. On the left
are the two wells; firstly Tobarín Súl and then a little farther up is Skour
well.
A Madonna and Child at the Skour Well
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