Holy Well 2 - Glencolmcille Traditional Cache
Holy Well 2 - Glencolmcille
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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This cache will bring you deep into the heart of the Burren, an area which many people passing through Clare don't get to see. On top of it, this is a place that is well-kept secret. You will thoroughly enjoy the beauty of this place, a holy well with a stream coming down the hill.
The entrance to the holy well is on road leading from the townland of Glencolumbkille (The Church in the Valley of Columba, an Irish Saint) to the New Line road / Kinvara. Go from the road down the straight track between the two drystone walls. WARNING: in times of rain, there can be water running down the track like a riverbed. You will need wellingtons! I recommend to go there when it has rained for a while, because it is so much more spectacular and beautiful when the water is coming down the hill as opposed to the river being totally dry.
The cache is under bedrock above the cross. Please put the stones back that cover the side of the cache so that nobody can see it from further down.
This whole area here is named after St Columba, a 6th century Irish saint who had a church built here. The holy well is dedicated to him, and it is said to cure eyes and feet.
While you are in the area, you can go and discover the church east of the holy well which was built in the 12th century. At the entrance to the church site is the shaft of a High Cross and up the hill some penitential stations used by pilgrims. Going east, in the hedgerow, is a stone with two hole marks said to be made by St Columba’s fingers. See here for pictures.
This cache is part of the Holy Well series which is open to everyone; if you know a holy well you would like to place a cache at then please contact Burrentracker through Geocaching.com. This is to keep track of the numbers of the holy wells and give you the general format for the cache page. If you currently have a published cache at a holy well that you would like to include in the series, get in contact with me, Burrentracker, and I can add it to the list.
Additional Hints
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