Holy Well, Fore Abbey, Fore, Ireland

Wednesday, 4 January 2012
County Meath, Ireland

A late start to the day, we were off from Dublin to explore County Meath. I had my experience again this late morning driving on the left-hand side of the road, struggling with windshield wipers being on the wrong side of the steering wheel as I became accustomed to the Irish/UK method of driving (again).  Today we are off to “Fore” to explore the two holy wells and the abbey. As we were driving around “Oldcastle” we drove by “Oliver Plunkett’s” Memorial at a viewing area, then down to the gas station for a hot baked potato for lunch. Passing the “Tayto‘s Van” made me crave those damn crisps. So we settled for chocolate-covered rice cakes. We then made our way to “Fore“, a small village centered around its abbey and holy wells. More fodder for my research book.

Fore Abbey, Fore, Ireland

Fore was a very interesting site. A large settlement was once here, as the ruins to the mill, settlement, abbey, monastery, church, and holy wells were scattered around the area. This area is also known for its seven wonders … The monastery in a bog, the mill without a race, the water that flows uphill, The tree that has three branches of the tree that doesn’t burn, the water that won’t boil, the anchorite in a stone, and the stone that was raised by St. Fechin’s prayers. A small branch that had fallen off of the tree in the now dried up muddy well of the first holy well of Fore, I took a little piece off as I’m going to see if it will burn or not. The sign said the tree was dead and was nothing more than a branch, but I can definitely say it was alive and well and budding. I tied a prayer rag onto the tree with petitions for 2012. We then walked down to the mill for a gander. Then on to the second holy well, which was flowing with water. Another petition with a prayer rag, and a bottle filled up with the sacred water. It began to rain then as I called the spirits of the local faeries to bless the water. We looked around for the rumored “bra tree” that was supposed to be for fertility but only found one “bra” hanging in this tree. Onwards to the Fore Abbey we spied two white swans in the river. Felt like a bird omen.  Exploring the ruins, cold as a glacier, we headed back to the car and up the hill to a peculiar spot on the hill which turned out to be some ruins, then around the churchyard and ruins of St. Felchin’s Church. I asked the spirit of the yew if I could have a branch, with an offering of a coin, to take back home to my altar.

Loughcrew Passage Tomb

Back driving around the countryside of County Meath, we spied atop a hill that looked like some ruins with a roof made of tree branches. Very intriguing, but nowhere to pull over to investigate. Onwards to Loughcrew Passage Tomb we pulled over in the rain, parked, braved the cold, and horrid winds for a climb up Slieve Na Calliagh (Hill of the Witch) to make our way up to the tombs and settlement. En route up the slippery and muddy slope, to the left was a wishing tree. Upwards, we made it, the wind threatening to topple us over on every step atop the hill we sat on the wishing throne, explored the mounds, and wished we had stopped at the gardens to get the keys so we could go inside the tomb. Next time for sure. En route down, visited the rag tree to give an offering to the faeries. From there we drove to the People’s Park and Lloyd’s Spire. This was a lighthouse in the middle of nowhere, built far away from the coast, just to make those suffering from the famine work for food. It was a horrible ordeal that the Irish went through with the building of this waste of concrete. Apparently, it was built atop a Bronze Age earthen works site, as well as a Fairy fort on site. A mass grave for the Famine sufferers who died during this project is memorialized before the lighthouse. After the lighthouse, we pitstopped at St. Colmcille’s Well, then around Kells. Worn and tired from the icy cold, harsh winds, and rain we sought shelter down in Kells for a hot chocolate at the Headfort Arms Hotel.

Before leaving the area, we went to visit Eadaoin’s sister and brother-in-law for a cup of tea before leaving County Meath. They invited us for take-out of fish n’ chips, and to stay over the night. Catching up and socializing took hold of the evening as we refuged from the rain and wind for a good night’s sleep.

Lloyds’ Spire and People’s Park