Oíche Fhéile Bríde

St Bridget's Eve, the start of Imbolg and the coming of Spring!  I gathered at a rather obscure well dedicated to St Bridget and met a charming gang of transition year students ( 5th years) plus K from Wise Water. This particular well has been much neglected and only recently tied up and I reckon we were the first pilgrims for nearly a hundred year, I did my bit, K did a water ceremony and we paid the rounds, then distributed crosses and planted some primroses. Are there more people like you asked one lad, interested in holy wells?  And we saw a frog which caused the biggest excitement of all. 
Then we all repaired to the day care centre, a slight confusion as to whether a minibus had been ordered to take us. There had but it was late and two journeys were required. Various elders were ready to receive us and there were doughnuts for the students.  Again K did her thing and when I started off doing my bit I was heckled, quite aggressively, by two elders, sort of in stereo, who firmly insisted there were no holy wells in this area. Right. Even if you showed me I wouldn't believe it said one.  Right.
K and I repaired to the health food shop for a late lunch of some excellent spinach soup and fresh rolls with goats' milk butter and strong coffee.
Tomorrow there is more excitement. Catch up sometime!