Diversions in Tipperary Part 1

This blog seems to be expanding geographically! I have just been to County Carlow for a few days, a journey which seemed to go through many different counties and was full of interesting places on the way including a host of holy wells which just had to be visited and recorded, so the next few blog entries could be from anywhere!

Today we passed through Tipperary and visited two remarkable ecclesiastical settlements, both with holy wells, nestling peacefully and timelessly in the Glen of Aherlow, the Galtee Mountains towering overhead.

Toureen Peacaun, Tuairín Péacáin

The wonderfully named Toureen Peacaun, (or Kilpeacan) lies just off the M8. Exit at Cahir, go under the motorway, take the N24 towards Tipperary and then a left and you are instantly in a different world: tiny roads, wooded hillside and such peace. The road stops abruptly at a small unmanned level crossing – still active. Leave the car, proceed with caution, close the barriers behind you and the feeling of otherworldliness deepens. A 200 year old farmhouse, the odd chicken and a grassy boreen follows the path of a small watercourse, the Peacaun stream, roses and yellow flags lining its path. Bright though the colours were, mono somehow seems more fitting for the images.

There are three monuments here: a church, a cell and a holy well – all dedicated to Beccán, Beagán, Peacaun, Peacáin, Pecaun, Peakaun, take your pick! (Somewhere along the line the b changed into a p). A delightful handwritten sign points into a field towards the first monument: St Peacaun’s Church or Kilpeacaun (TS075-023001).

St Peacaun’s Church, Kilpeacan

At first sight it all looks interesting but not especially exceptional. A closer inspection provides this assumption to be completely wrong, there is just so much that is remarkable here. This extract from the Schools’ Folklore Collection describes what the site was like in the 1930s, before an extensive restoration by the OPW in the 1940s:

St. Pecaun is the patron Saint of this district and long ago the holy man lived in a well sheltered place in the townland of Toureen, at the foot of the Galtee mountains. To this day there still remain the ruins of an old church and cell. A little to the west in a nice cosy spot lie the ruins of the old church which is now overgrown with ivy but a number of old broken crosses, statues and Celtic Crosses. still lie on an old altar. Just about a yard or two outside the door of the church is an old broken cross. The arms and upper portion are broken off and trace of them cannot be found and nothing is left but a portion of the mast. It is said that a mason who was building a house wanted a nice flat stone. He saw the stone and said that would be a suitable one. He struck the cross and at that moment he died. About two yards away at the eastern side of the church is a large stone slab with a great deal of writing on it but now the words are scarcely discernible. (SFC:022:0576)

The original church was built around 650 AD by a hermit called Béagán or Beccanus, as part of a monastic settlement. Béagan was an anchorite, an especially austere one who would daily stand with arms outstretched against a stone cross, chanting the psalter!  Other sources, including the 13th century Life of Abán, say that the church was founded by St Abán, whose well and shrine have already been visited and recorded in Ballyvourney, County Cork. Beagán was acknowledged as being here at the same time as Abán and described as being an ascetic, keen on :

… three day fasts, assiduous prayers, genefluctions, wringings of hands and nightly vigils. (Life of St Abán)

The existing building probably dates from the twelfth century. It is notable for its chunky cyclopean stone work and beautiful romanesque windows. It, and the rest of the site, was  extensively restored during the 1940s by the OPW.

Inset into the walls are the remains of cross slabs, placed here in during the reconstruction.  Another remarkable artefact on the walls is a sundial dating from 800 AD (TS075-023076).

Behind the church worn steps lead up to the remains of the west high cross (TS075-023003) – the steps also made during the 1940s but looking much older.

In front of the church a rather incongruous and dislocated assemblage of cross fragments, many early cross and possibly fragments from a shrine are protected by a cattle grid.

St Peacaun’s Cell

The second monument lies just across the lane in another field, immediately identified by the windswept hawthorn and little circle of stones. It is a small circular enclosure, possibly a clochán, or beehive hut (TS075-023004).

This is St Peacaun’s Cell – inside is an earthfast stone contains a triple bullaun: two large scoops and one very small one.

 … (here) is a round circle of stones with two large holes in the centre of the floor. Here is was supposed the saint lived and he knelt in the two holes when he was praying. This is an account of one of the miracles worked by St. Pecaun. One day he asked a woman for a bit of butter and she refused saying that she had none. She had a big lump of butter and when she saw the saint coming she hid it in a room and when the saint was gone she went to look for it but it was changed into stone. It is said that he is buried under whitethorn tree. (SFC:022-024:0576)

Traditionally these bullauns once contained large smooth stones. One was a cursing stone, and the other was a butter stone, which could be placed in a churn to help with butter making. The butter stone is one of the fragments displayed in front of the church,  now protected by a metal cage. There’s another rather alarming reference to the butter-making in a different extract from the Schools’ Folklore Collection:

… It is said that a woman washed butter in the well and after a while it turned into blood… (SFC:086/087:0576)

Today the butter stone looks deceptively innocent.

St Peacaun’s Holy Well

It is circular and stone lined, flush with the ground level. Two steps lead down to the water which is fresh, clear and cold and is said to contain a cure for burns and to offer protection against drowning.

The old people say that if you throw a stone into the water and leave it, for a while then take it from the water, if there happens to be fire, the stone is believe to stop it. (SFC: 028:0575)

A one eyed fish is said to reside within seen only once every seven years. No sign of him today. A fishing net and a ladle lie on the wall nearby. A fluted holy water font has been incorporated into the wall and there are a few offerings including a rosary. A bullaun stone, on its side, lies just behind the well, and beyond that is a millstone, both brought here in the 1990s from the neighbouring townland of Ballydrehid.

Another entry from the Schools’ Folklore Collection throws a little light on the origins of this remarkable site:

There are three holy wells in the district namely St. Pecaun’s well in Toureen, St Naonáns well in Barnlough and St. Berrehards well in Ardane. These three brothers were sons of a great Irish chief but at an early age all three dedicated themselves to the service of God.
The three brothers wanted a piece of land each in which they could build a church and cell so they went to their father and asked him. He told them to select any piece of land they liked. He called St. Peacán first and the saint selected Toureen.
‘Take it with my blessing’ said the father. Next came St. Naonán and he took Barnlough. Last he called St. Berrehard and he picked out Ardane.
St. Peacaun built a church and cell in a shady nook by the side of a clear spring well in Toureen at the foot of the Galtee Mountains. The ruins of the old church and cell remain to this day. At the church are an amount of old statues, rosary beads and crosses. When people go to visit it they leave money or anything at the church but nothing is left at the well.
On the first week of August women go up to the well to make their ’rounds’ and a pattern is held there on the first of August. It is said that a fish with one eye is seen there every seven years on the first of August. ( SFC: 086/087:0576)

A sign as you enter the church site a notice precisely outlines how to pay the rounds, and they’re rigorous:

1. Enter church , leave token preferably religious

2. Say Act of Contrition and Apostles creed

3. Move up to the cross by the church and say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, one Glory Be to the Father on the first five beads of the Rosary

4. Walk from the cross around the left side of the church and around headstones reciting one Our Father, one Hail Mary and one Glory Be to the Father

5. Stop at the front of the headstones and repeat Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be five times

6. Walk back to the cross at the right side of the church saying one Our Father, one Hail Mary, one Glory Be. Repeat at 4.5.6 until you have completed full rounds of the Rosary.

7. Walk up to the well, take three sips of the water from the well and make the sign of the cross before drinking each sip

8. Walk over to the cell, and if able move around the cell three times on knees saying three Hail Marys otherwise just walk around and say the prayers.

The rounds must be made during the first eight days of August.

The pattern day, 1st August, was a Lammas celebration, and once attracted large crowds:

… In the evening of the first of August a great crowd assembles at the field and boys run races, and money prizes are given to the winners. Also on the first week of August women go up to make their “rounds”.

It’s hard to imagine all that activity today for it is such a peaceful spot, almost soporific. We didn’t really want to leave and return to the 21st Century though the next site kept us in its Medieval thrall too and will be the subject of the next blog.

The location of this well can be found in the Gazetteer.