Bealtine

Just back from an action-packed few days in North Cork with our pals R & F  - 15 wells, a stone row, a friary, a massive castle, a fortified house, ogham stones, a brush with a 1916 re-enactment and a fruitless search for Oliver Reed's grave! We've had gigantic hail stone, howling wind, blazing sunshine and thick fog. We've sipped form water that will sort out just about everything from men's ailments, to childbirth to warts to sore eyes to dodgy legs!
And today we went off to the City of Shrone just over the border in Kerry today being the start of Bealtine - the first day of Summer according to the Celtic calendar which is still followed here! This is an astonishing site -  a jumble of cairns, ogham stones, massive boulders all enclosed within a colossal stone ringfort. It has been used as a sacred site for over 4000 years - people once bringing their cattle here, driving them through fire and then dousing them with water form the well to ensure good health. It's since been Christianised of course and Mass is still held here on May Day - a little gazebo was being erected as we left. The rounds are still performed here and if you do it correctly it should take you three hours!! Part of the rounds include inscribing these stones - and of course taking a sip of water from the well. The extra shows where the keeper of the site used to live, literally built into the massive walls of the fort.


Yes, I did bathe my face in the dew - quite a few slugs in the particular patch I chose so I hope that won't interfere with potential beauty.

Glass of wine and an early night now required.
And I'm entering this for the DS challenge as it's pretty much abandoned for most of the year - just enjoyed by the cattle.

Backblips:
Gougane Barra
Inghe Bhuidhe's holy well