Milstreet day 2: A Fierce Holy Woman

Fuelled with a large breakfast we headed out for another day of Stop one, the City of Shrone - an ancient cashel (stone ringfort), now Christianised as a place of pilgrimage. The road up to it was tiny and about a foot thick in cow shit. The city itself is much venerated still but full of ramshackle old buildings and even an outrageously placed telegraph pole. As were about to leave an old man from the nearby house came out to inspect us. We had to stop for a chat. He got the information and inquire where we were going next - I told him. 'Another holy place. You must be a fierce holy woman' he remarked!

We went everywhere - highlights included a tiny holy well and fairy tree in a field of wheat (see extra), the stark and incredibly impressive remains of Kanturk castle and this place.

This place was incredibly difficult to find but we eventually rolled up at the farm .The owner came to meet us and too us to see it himself. He was a mine of information - again, this very special holy well had been looked after by his family for generations. The figure on the left is meant to be a sheela na gig, an ancient fertility symbol, and the tiny figure on the right is a Roman soldier, signifying the Catholic religion  - a bit of a tussle between the two but I think I know who's winning! The inscription was put up by a grateful pilgrim who had been cured of blindness by the well's healing waters. The water was ice cold and spotless. Another amazing day.