In Corrogue

Tobar Mhuire, St. Brigid’s Day
Stone steps lead down to a
floor of leaf mould,
seasons upon seasons
composted ivy and hawthorn.

The well is dry
as a crone’s ovaries.
In this driest of winters
there is neither a puddle or even
a thimbleful of dew pooling.

Berried ivy strangles the thorn.
The healing flees to the tree nearest,
so they say, when a holy well
runs dry. Listen to its panting,
a small sighing, as
the ivy grips tighter.

Yet we leave bits of ourselves here-
coins – varying denominations and
dominions of change, the ragged
red Bhrat Brid, some rosary beads,
paper hankies disintegrating our ills.

Still the supplications come
rising up in puffs of frosty breath.
Let the snowdrops come. Let the snowdrops come.
Oh Blessed Lady, please,
hear our prayer.
 

This Week in Corrogue…

I walk our two dogs, Murphy and Pippin, at least twice a day. Frequently we walk up our lane to the next townland, Tubber, or Tobar Mhuire (Mary’s Well) in Irish. The well’s stone structure is still sound. Local long-term unemployed men keep the grass trim in summer.

The well has been dry for a long while. The townland was well populated in the nineteenth century and supported two shops. A huge freak flood wiped out the townland. It may also have physically altered the watercourse that fed the well. Today the townland’s only residents are cattle and sheep, foxes and badgers, as well as many wild bird species.

Despite the holy well’s dry status people do still visit and leave the traditional offerings. Someone has left a rather 1960’s style glass picture of the Blessed Mother. It is alleged that Our Lady appeared at this holy well at some point in the mists of the past. But as to the exact date when this may have happened that too has merged back into the mists. It is even beyond the memory of my ninety-four year old neighbour Delia.

There is a bottle of Lourdes water from a pilgrimage in 2005, bootlaces tied to ivy clinging onto the stone, rosary beads festooning the branches. There is an assortment of American quarters, English pennies and Irish euro cents. The tradition is to tie a hanky or rag on the tree beside the well. As the elements wear it away so your ailment will disintegrate. The wishing well tradition of tossing in money in payment for favours granted has got mixed in with the original rag offering tradition.

Locally, the ‘pattern day’ – the day when you do a ritual rota of prayers (the pattern) to effect the cure – is 15th August, the feast of Our Lady’s assumption into heaven. However, there are even older traditions that say that the well’s power to cure is effective at Halloween (31st October – 2nd November), St. Brigid’s Feast (1st-2nd February), Beltaine (May Day or 1st May) and Lughnasa (31st July – 2nd August. These are equally propitious times to visit a holy well for a required cure.

©  2006 Bee Smith