{"id":4998,"date":"2021-08-01T13:46:04","date_gmt":"2021-08-01T12:46:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/?p=4998"},"modified":"2021-08-01T13:46:24","modified_gmt":"2021-08-01T12:46:24","slug":"no-water-at-saint-endas-holy-well","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/no-water-at-saint-endas-holy-well\/","title":{"rendered":"No Water at Saint Enda’s Holy Well"},"content":{"rendered":"

I stopped at St Enda’s Holy Well<\/em><\/a> in Bearna, to find no water there. As I sat down beside it, I pondered and wondered is it because of the way Ireland (and the churches mismanagement of scandals) has drifted from the pure faith of the people?<\/em><\/p>\n

\"St<\/a>
St Enda’s Holy Well: The well ran dry – in times of trial or desecration, it is said Holy Wells run dry<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

St Enda stopped here, the water rose
\nFlowed here since it was said,
\nBut there is no water now today
\nWhere St Enda once had prayed
\nWhile heading to the Aran Isles
\nI wondered then of the old tale (1)
\nThat when evil rules the land
\nThe waters to flow there fail
\nOr rise elsewhere if desecrated
\nI wonder is this is so
\nThat the Ireland of vanities of today
\nCaused these holy waters to fail to flow?<\/p>\n

I pondered such as there I sat
\nThe wind blowing in the trees
\nI thought of Greece where once I sat
\nIn such a hot summers breeze
\nThis is a thin place, this Holy Well (2)
\nSince long before St Patricks word
\nBrought the faith to this western place
\nWithout the need of blood and sword
\nI’m sure the water sometimes flows
\nJust a trickle there maybe
\nBut it was dry as the summer sky
\nWhen visited there by me…<\/p>\n

From such springs hope of a better time
\nWhen we find again the values lost (3)
\nFrom those earlier days when richer in spirit we were
\nWhen coins to these waters were tossed
\nBy the faithful who by clergy were betrayed (4)
\nGuilty of greater sins that they condemned (5)
\nThe planks in their eye were their blind spot (6)
\nWhich of recent times came to an end (7)<\/p>\n

\"Entrance<\/a>
Entrance to St Eannas Holy Well<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It damaged their voice when it most was needed (8)
\nFor that is how evil succeeds
\nLying words like choice find in ears a voice
\nAmong disdain gains ground and feeds (9)
\nOn just anger against the few per cent
\nAnd the bishops who covered their sins for so long
\nNow good is bad, and bad is good
\nThe times of darkness now are strong<\/p>\n

I thought of similar back in Greece
\nVisiting Acropolis, and Cave of Pan
\nLittle knowing then capitalism was unfurling
\nThe greatest modern peacetime crash for man (10)
\nWhen all the spinning plates came down
\nAs army and navy around Greece were deployed
\nOblivious, thinking tensions with Turkey once again were afoot
\nI the train rise to Thessaloniki enjoyed.<\/p>\n

I could not have imagined then
\nThat Ireland so much had changed
\nThe world too and all for the wrong
\nThe orders of the lands rearranged.
\nThe banks will rule, the people flee
\nAs others flee to us from elsewhere
\nWe welcome, for we once were them
\nKnowing conflict, famine, like their lands there
\nWhere I visited the Serbian cemetery in Thessalonica
\nWhere British too were buried before
\nI wondered then as I do now,
\nCould its likes happen again as it did before?<\/p>\n

Id thought of same beneath Greek trees
\nScorched beneath our common sun
\nIn our common world where we find such difference
\nI to think of back then had begun
\nAs I sat in Beara in that grove
\nAt St Eannas Holy well…
\nWill waters flow strong when better turn
\nAs a people, only time will tell…<\/p>\n

Sure, some will blame it on global warming,
\nLow water table due to lack of rain,
\nThe world is ending its mankinds fault
\nThat Ireland roasts today like Spain,
\nSome of that may be true but that’s not the whole story
\nHere where the faithful prayed
\nDruids too possibly back in their time
\nDevotion to water spirits displayed…
\nI walked away hoping to return
\nTo water trickle as a sign of hope
\nTo a land lost in lies of euphemisms
\nWhich uses yoga, not prayer as a way to cope.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
A place of serenity, one of the worlds “Thin Spaces”, Holy Wells are often a peaceful spot.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

(1) There is a folk belief that water will not flow in a Holy Well that has been desecrated, or in a well where wrong has been done by local rulers. In the former, the well is said to spring anew elsewhere, in the latter it may return if good times return.<\/p>\n

(2) A “thin place” is a location close to the otherworld, where peace emanates even in the midst of a busy environment. This was believed before Christianity in Ireland and continues to the present day.<\/p>\n

(3) As Ireland follows the follys of abortion and probably soon, euthanasia, is the waters stopping to flow as we turn away from decency and what is right?<\/p>\n

(4) Clerical scandals were beyond what the faithful expected of the clergy<\/p>\n

(5) Child abuse scandals<\/p>\n

(6) The wilful cover up of said scandals<\/p>\n

(7) The historic crimes have ended. Only future times will tell are their current ones, and victims.<\/p>\n

(8) To minimise compensation and to get state aid, while saying the right thing but in a quiet way they were hand in glove with the prochoice victory in Ireland, when they should have joined with other faiths and none in protest against the attacks on the right to life.<\/p>\n

(9) Those seen as hypocrites, its hard for them to give needed guidance. Its in opposition such as that the clergy have to fight hardest, as they always had to in times of adversity. This time, its an adversity of their own creation.<\/p>\n

(10) Financial crash of 2008<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I stopped at St Enda’s Holy Well in Bearna, to find no water there. As I sat down beside it, I pondered and wondered is it because of the way Ireland (and the churches mismanagement of scandals) has drifted from the pure faith of the people? St Enda stopped here, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[234,136,55,54],"tags":[4439,4438,391,2800,4437,2072],"class_list":["post-4998","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-abortion","category-catholic-church-scandals","category-current-affairs-in-ireland","category-ireland","tag-an-bhearna","tag-bearna","tag-galway","tag-holy-well","tag-poem-on-holy-well","tag-reflection","column","twocol"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7EI4f-1iC","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2703,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/miracle-at-saint-st-augustines-holy-well\/","url_meta":{"origin":4998,"position":0},"title":"Miracle at Saint St Augustine\u2019s Holy Well","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"30th April 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"All hope gone bar blind faith The child to the well he was brought In desperation and pure belief was bathed A cure for his ailment was saught. Prayers said, the boy was toweled down Wrapped up him warm to keep Dutifully by the local women He was allowed to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Gander Around Galway"","block_context":{"text":"Gander Around Galway","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/travel-poems\/gander-around-galway\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"St Augustines Holy Well in Galway","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/St-Augustines-Holy-Well-in-Galway.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/St-Augustines-Holy-Well-in-Galway.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/St-Augustines-Holy-Well-in-Galway.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/St-Augustines-Holy-Well-in-Galway.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4532,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/last-of-the-faithful-at-st-augustines-holy-well\/","url_meta":{"origin":4998,"position":1},"title":"Last of the Faithful at St Augustine’s Holy Well","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"28th May 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"I saw a couple with their children go to the Holy Well on Lough Atalia today. The child appeared to have a bad cough, not a condition the well was known for as far as I know. The only time Ive seen actual pilgrims come to it in all my\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faith"","block_context":{"text":"Faith","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/faith\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"St Augustines Holy Well in Galway","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/St-Augustines-Holy-Well-in-Galway.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/St-Augustines-Holy-Well-in-Galway.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/St-Augustines-Holy-Well-in-Galway.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/St-Augustines-Holy-Well-in-Galway.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5216,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/walking-in-belturbet-by-ernes-side\/","url_meta":{"origin":4998,"position":2},"title":"Walking in Belturbet By Erne’s Side","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"7th July 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"From the well the calf it leaped As unwisely the widow chose For ease her load not too long to carry In a holy well to wash her clothes: - It is a belief that if sullied A holy well of water will dry Though it has been a plentiful\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Holy Wells"","block_context":{"text":"Holy Wells","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/ireland\/holy-wells\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Story of the Calf of Gowna on Turbet Island walk in Belturbet","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Story-of-the-Calf-of-Gowna-on-Turbet-Island-walk-in-Belturbet.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Story-of-the-Calf-of-Gowna-on-Turbet-Island-walk-in-Belturbet.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Story-of-the-Calf-of-Gowna-on-Turbet-Island-walk-in-Belturbet.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Story-of-the-Calf-of-Gowna-on-Turbet-Island-walk-in-Belturbet.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Story-of-the-Calf-of-Gowna-on-Turbet-Island-walk-in-Belturbet.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Story-of-the-Calf-of-Gowna-on-Turbet-Island-walk-in-Belturbet.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4060,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/a-holy-book-proves-no-shield\/","url_meta":{"origin":4998,"position":3},"title":"A Holy Book Proves No Shield","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"15th October 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The death of Mahon, the King, who set a little too much faith in the Bible for protection! 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