Only Fools & Horses

Yesterday was just so ghastly I didn't even venture outside or contemplate a blip but today the forecast assured us it was going to be calm, clear with even a hint of sunshine. I persuaded Himself we needed to go up a mountain, Mushera Mor, for yes, there was a holy well at the very top! An hour and a half journey, quite a few floods, all good until we got to the mountain which was pretty much shrouded in cloud and it was freezing and it was blowing a hoolie. They lied! We wrapped up and persevered.  A couple of 100 metres up and the fog really came down and it was seriously wet, in the air and underfoot. Too far gone to come back so we persevered. We met a man coming down, he'd just been up and back for the craic, who told me it was foolish to carry on, we were in the wrong direction for the well and there was nothing to see anyway. I didn't tell Himself that bit and we carried on. At the summit of the mountain we could just make a cairn and a cross. We sheltered behind the cairn and I had a wethers toffee and Himself had an energy bar. GPS on we staggered onwards through the mist, a tiny path weaselling through the heather. Another little heap of stones in the distance, a tiny amount of light came through the clouds - the well!  It was worth the struggle even though I fell flat on my bum in the bog trying to photograph the back of it. This well is dedicated to St John but is also known as Tobar na gCappal (Well of the Horses), and was once a major pilgrimage site, the water considered good for warts. There are two wells lower down, much easier to get to, and these have superseded this well, the water of which is now mainly used to sprinkle over cattle and ensure their good health. The man we met on the way down assured us that the views up here were incredible - if only we could have seen more than 10 metres in front of us! The blip is as we descended and you guessed it, the mist started to lift - briefly. Back at the car I had to change into clean jeans (now part of the well kit which includes secateurs,  hedge cutters, spare wellies, socks, a pencil, notebook and some ribbons since you ask).
We stayed the night in a really comfy hotel in Macroom and even had a swim and a steam room session. Perfect. See extras for the 10 seasons in 2 hours and the well!  And note the holy well tag for this year IHW18 - International Holy Well 18.