St Dalbach's Well

I have to confess that this image was actually taken a fortnight ago on our jaunt to North Cork but it was worked on this morning and is indicative of my day, so I rest my case Your Honour. And it's already four days into International Holy Well Month and I hadn't blipped one. The evidence is conclusive!
This delightful well is dedicated to St Dalbach - see extra for the whole thing.  St Dalbach is a bit of a shadowy figure. He, or possibly she, seems to have been associated with an anchorite movement  known as the Céili Dé which was flourishing between 750-850AD. Anchorites chose to withdraw from secular life in order to devote themselves to an aesthetic existence based on prayer. They had to take a vow of stability of place and lived in a cell attached to a church where they seem to have been literally walled in!  They could be consulted on spiritual matters and sometimes a squint was provided for them into the church. They had to rely totally on other people for bodily needs.They were literally dead to the corporeal world. The Martyrology of Donegal (!) has this to say about St Dalbach:
...(he) was a great performer of penance and ... he never touched his hand to his side as long as he lived.

Quite what that means ....
Anyway, the well was in a lovely little glade with a river running next to it, frequently visited as you can see by the assortment of offerings.  Traditionally you would walk around the well nine times, kneeling at each of the seven prayer stones, saying the rosary, then drink from the well three times (you could use the palm of your hand), leave an offering and tie a rag in the tree. The rag tree has gone but the water is still fresh and clear, though rather full of leaves. The water is good for sore eyes and warts.

Changing the subject - laydees I hope you are all suitably dressed like real women today. I consulted my outfit - (to be fair, I had been gardening): trousers which had once been rather snazzy jodhpur type things from Gap now well worn with holes in the knees, a cardigan, wellies and my rather nice woollen headband from the Orkneys, decorated in runes, and ... OMG...no make up! All woman. I fear a certain person might considered me best walled up - like an anchorite. Neat segue!