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Hi Pete I think that's the first mention of the slaine site on the this list - first time I've seen it anyway - fantastically useful & many thanks. The reprint of Máire MacNeill's book in the 1980's was just a reprint - not an extension - despite breaking it into 2 paperback volumes. Both editions are now very hard to find. There's also a similar archaeological survey volume of County Donegal, published in 1983 by Donegal County Council & long out of print, which does have a holy wells section, and an even older survey of County Down (HMSO, 1966) which doesn't list wells separately - I think the only ones mentioned are those at Struel. cheers, Geoff. -----Original Message----- From: WATER TALK - the email discussion list for springs and spas enthusiasts [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of [log in to unmask] Sent: 02 July 2005 03:34 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Irish Wells Paul at [log in to unmask] writes: << Thank you for your web-site. I'm doing an MA dissertaion on Wells in Ireland- do you have contacts with anyone that is working at a similar depth as yourselves? I'd be grateful for any help - thanks. Paul >> Paul, Here are some sources you could use. The only extensive website I know of for Irish wells is the www.slaine.ie/ one. Other than that, I depend on hard-cover books for my information. The Festival of Lughnasa, by Máire MacNeill, is a useful reference book. My copy is Oxford Univ. Press, 1962, but I think it was reprinted and expanded later. Wordwell Books, at www.wordwellbooks.com/ has issued a series of Archaeological Inventory books for various of the 26 counties, published by the Irish gov't. The series is a "work in progress", and they have completed 12 (or 13) complete counties-worth, plus 2/3 of Galway and half of Tipperary. These books - especially the more recent ones - have separate sections devoted to Holy Wells. The earlier publications seemed to include wells in with other features and sites, and are harder to extract from the huge amount of information in each of these books. Another useful source is the Ordnance Survey Letters, collected during the survey in the 1830/40's. These are available for all of the 32 counties but Antrim and Tyrone in the North and Cork in the Republic. The manuscripts were typeset during the 1927-1934 period under the direction of Rev. Michael O'Flanagan in Bray, Co. Wicklow. A few of these have been re-set and re-published in more recent years, notably by Four Courts Press (but I still prefer the feel and smell of the older volumes). The information in these volumes (42 separate books) contains information regarding antiquities and the 'leader of the pack' was John O'Donovan - who included data on Holy Wells whenever possible. He believed that the existence of these wells - even unconnected to a ruined church or a graveyard - might, in the future, be a guidepost to a hitherto unknown ecclesiastical site............and hence he tried to include the well information in his letters, for future use. He was also careful to get the name of the well, the Saint to whom the well was dedicated, and the Pattern Day - observed, or no longer practiced (as of the 1830's or so). And, of course, the series of 1:50,000 Discovery maps show many hundreds of wells. The Slaine website uses these Discovery maps and the two sources work well together. But nothing beats actual visiting them. I've certainly been to hundreds of them, but I have only recorded the few which actually interested me. Usually, this means the wells with cross-slabs or Early carvings, and/or sites with votive offerings. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Pete Schermerhorn, in the glorious Berkshire hills of western Massachusetts