Diversions in Tipperary Part 2

Still feeling tranquil and otherworldly from our visit to St Peakaun’s monastic site, we travelled another few miles deeper into the Glen of Aherlow to visit somewhere I have long wished to experience – St Berrihert’s Kyle.

St Berrihert’s Kyle

We parked, GPS suggesting we needed to go across the fields. A car passed us and we asked if we were anywhere near the kyle – the occupant assured us we were: just nip over the wall and across the fields.

There were two fields in all – the first with a circle of trees, a sort of causeway and signs of a possible earthen enclosure.

The second over a boardwalk through swathes of yellow flags. The first glimpse of what lay beyond was tantalising: an oak tree incorporated into a circular stone wall, a multitude of cross slabs sticking up from the top. A sort of mini cashel.

Like Toureen Peacaun, this site was extensively tidied up in the 1940s by the OPW (Office of PUblic Works) when the many cross slabs were collected together and placed in the circular wall. Originally there may have been over 70 slabs, but a survey of 2011 counted 67.  What on earth are they doing here?

It seems that St Berrihert, an Anglo-Saxon monk, arrived here shortly after the Synod of Whitby in 664 AD and founded some sort of monastic settlement. There are no traces of the original church, or in fact any other buildings, and you do wonder where this remarkable collection of artefacts came from and how it has remained. All the slabs had been gathered together by at least the late 19th century as this image, which dates from between 1895-1910, shows.

It doesn’t sound as though things had changed much by the 1930s as this detailed account from the Schools’ Folklore Collection describes:

All the carved stones found here have been collected into a station. Amongst these stones are (1) two heads of three standing crosses with solid rings. The larger one is ornamented by a six pointed-stair surrounded by two raised circles and outside these rings the inner and broader of which contains four interlaced knots separated by hollows which appear to represent the usual openings through the rings; and the outer a simple fret pattern. Of the parts outside the ring only the top and portion of one arm remains, the top carries a panel containing figures of three men the central figures of three men the central figure having arms raised and evidently supported by the others. On the fragment of the arm is a figure forming part a similar subject.
The smaller one has on it two raised circular mouldings surrounding a greek cross in relief with a square depressed centre.
(2) An upright slab 30ins long and three times ins thick and lapsing from 8 ins to 7 ins. One side is covered with a plain incised lattice pattern and the other with a rather unusual design consisting of of a double stranded twist in relief running up the centre and incised cneiron, or zig-zig patterns at the sides. The latter are broken by small squares marked by diagonal lines. These seem to represent arms of the cross whose stem is marked by a twist. This stone is looked as if it had originally fitted into a socket.
(3) Eighteen small cross slabs carved with six simple forms of cross, nine being carved on both sides.
The forms carved on these slabs include:-
Plain Greek Cross
Latin Cross
Cross with squares removed at intersection,
Cross with double squares removed,
Cross with circles removed at intersection,
Ringed cross with circles (?)
(4) A plain bullaun 6 ins diamr. 2 ins. deep cut in a rectangular stone.

(Schools’ Folklore Collection, 154-158:0574)

In 1946 all artefacts were incorporated into a circular stone wall. It was built around an ancient oak tree and provides a safe haven: no cattle can get in and it’s quite hard for humans to access too – there is a rough stile by the oak tree to clamber up into. What an awe-inspiring and rich site, so many things to inspect and admire, it can take a moment or two to adjust.

One of the most striking pieces is the remains of the head of a high cross. It has a marigold motif at its centre and the northern arm shows what is usually interpreted as Jacob wrestling with an angel. You will of course remember how Jacob was said to have wrestled with a man until daybreak, the stranger eventually saying:

… Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.(Genesis 32:22-31)

Below it a rock has been used as an altar and is covered in all sorts of offerings. The statues and crucifixes you might expect but the giraffes are a surprise.

The rock also contains a bullaun complete with a large smooth egg like stone – possibly a cursing or blessing stone depending on how you were feeling and which way you turned it: clockwise for blessings, anti-clockwise for curses – extreme caution needed for either.

The little smiley figure sitting atop it instantly dispels any sinister feelings! Other stones are marked with simple Latin crosses, though some slabs are decorated on each side.

A holly tree is adorned with rags and other offerings, a faded image of Our Lady below.

Outside the enclosure, and around the site are several stone cairns with cross inscribed stones, again placed here in the 1940s as Stations of the Cross. Sometime in the 19th century this area was used as a kyle, now marked by discrete stone kerbing. Kyle means burial place, usually called a cilleen in other parts of the country, and was the resting place of the unbaptised, normally babies and infants.

St Berrihert’s Holy Well

It was almost difficult to tear ourselves away from this powerful place but a small gate lay open invitingly.

We ventured through and followed more boardwalk across more bogginess, today full of little brown butterflies and more yellow flags. This take you to the holy well, also dedicated to St Berrihert. It is another extraordinary place just humming with atmosphere and deep peace.

The well is huge and roughly circular, surrounded by dense trees and undergrowth but no walls. The water is clear and everywhere bubbles rise atmospherically from odd grey pockets of sand at the bottom. It’s mesmerising and easy to understand why this place has had such meaning over hundreds of years. It is almost certainly a pre-Christian site and is in fact rather oddly referred to as a ritual pond in the Sites & Monuments Record. .

The underwater vegetation is a luminous green. The water of course will never boil and is said to hold a cure for scalds and burnings, similar to the water at nearby St Peacaun’s well. A common incantation was

Bernard, neighbour, save the skin.

It was customary to find stones near the run off stream, throw them in the water from the well and then retrieve them with a shovel which was once left there for that purpose! The stones were then taken them home. Today the shovel has gone but the rag tree acts as a handy rack for a display of cups.

Many of the birch and holly trees are adorned with an interesting mixture of offerings. I have to say I have seen many different offerings in my travels but this was the first wellie!

Another tree has a cluster of offerings at its base, like a little altar.

St Berrihert’s feast day is the 18th February and Mass is still held here on this date. It was traditional to visit nine days before the feast day. Another entry from the Schools’ Folklore Collection gives more information:

St Beraherths well is situated in the townland of Ardane and in the Parish of Bansha.
It is said that in ancient times, there were seven brothers saints, each of them lived in adjoining parishes, and one of them named St Beraherth lived where the well is. There was a church there at that time, but it has fallen to ruins, and only some of the stones remain now.
The well is surrounded by huge birch trees and there is a tradition that any of the timber around it cannot be burned and that the water cannot be boiled. People used the water to cure diseases. The people of the locality observe the eighteenth of February as the pattern day of St Beraherth. They keep that day as they keep Sunday but there is no mass celebrated. They come and go around the well, three times and say certain prayers and take some water away with them. They also get stones which they dip in the water, and these they take away with them also. (SFC:034/35:0575)

Another source explains a little more about the circumambulation and its meditational qualities:

…Walk around three times, clockwise, whispering prayers. The prayer would sink deeper and deeper into the soul, and in the deepest ground an eager pilgrim will find the answers to his questions.

St Berrihert, whose name can also be spelled in an astonishing variety of ways-  Bearhtwine, Berricheart, Berechtuine, Berikert, Berichter, Berectchert, Berechtir, Berehert, Benjamin, Ben, Bernard – has been encountered before, in County Cork where there is a well dedicate to him in Tullylease. A beautiful cross in Anglo-Saxon style refers to his origins, and an 18th century carving shows the saint himself, in full 18th century gear complete with frock coat and possible wig.

What a remarkable site, still able to inspire awe and wonder after all these years – even inducing one of us to sketch and paint.

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