Episode 21 : Holy Wells

Episode 21 : Holy Wells

Author: Eddie Lenihan February 1, 2022 Duration: 36:44

After months on hiatus spent working on his new book, Eddie returns with another episode of the podcast. This month, Eddie looks at the idea of Holy Wells in Ireland. He explores their origins in pagan worship and how they were assimilated into Christian culture over time. He speaks of some of the strange customs that visitors to the well would enact, from tying ribbons to nearby trees to circling the well clockwise three times. He also lists all the potential ailments that might find relief and treatment from the waters of the holy well.

This episode is kindly supported by Creative Ireland.


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There’s a particular magic in hearing a story told aloud, a tradition that feels both ancient and immediate. In Tell Me A Story with Eddie Lenihan, that magic is kept alive by Ireland’s most well-known storyteller himself. Eddie isn’t just a performer; he’s a dedicated cultural preservationist who has spent over thirty-five years traveling the country, amassing the largest collection of Irish folk tales and wisdom. This podcast is the direct result of that lifelong work. Each month, Eddie shares these collected stories from the past, giving voice to tales of myth, history, and everyday life that might otherwise have been forgotten. You’ll hear more than just narratives; you’ll encounter the unique cadence and character that only a master like Lenihan can provide, where a pause or a change in tone carries as much meaning as the words themselves. Listening feels like sitting by a fireside, drawn into a world where the landscape holds memory and folklore is a living thread connecting generations. It’s an intimate journey into the heart of Irish culture, one story at a time. For anyone curious about the roots of storytelling or the rich tapestry of oral history, this podcast offers a rare and authentic connection to a fading art, kept vibrant by its most passionate guardian.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 31

Tell Me A Story with Eddie Lenihan
Podcast Episodes
Episode 30 : The Man Who Sold His Horse In Tír Na nÓg [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:17
This month, Eddie recounts the curious tale of Dennis O'Rourke and how his meeting with a stranger on the way to the Tulla horse-fair pulls him into Other World. Dennis is drawn into the Big House, a place where caution…
Episode 29 : Irish Wakes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:59
This month, Eddie brings us an in-depth insight into the traditions surrounding Irish wakes. He speaks about how our relationship with death has changed over time, and the importance of honouring the rituals surrounding…
Episode28 : The Fairies of Corbally Fort [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:48
Eddie recites the frightening tale of what happens when two farmers from Quin in Co. Clare interfere with the Good People who called Corbally fort their home. On an October's evening, Pat and Sean were returning home fro…
Episode 27 : Animals in Irish Folklore Part2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:05
Dogs and cats and horses and rats. Eddie explores how these animals have long been the subject of Irish folklore stories, and what messages or foreboding they may bring. He explains the long held belief that dogs and hor…
Episode 26 - The Banshee [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:27
This month, Eddie speaks of the banshee in Irish culture, and the fear her wail instilled in those who heard it. The banshee, or the badhbh as she is also known, is a female spirit who gives a warning of impending death.…
Episode 25 : Graveyards [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:46
Eddie speaks about the macabre subject of graveyards in Ireland, and the rituals and piseogs that surround them. He explains the delicate process of burying a body, and what charms and objects may be placed in the grave,…
Episode 24 : The Place Names of Ireland (Part 2) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:39
Continued from Eddie's previous discussion last month, Eddie picks up where he left off on his journey into the place names of Ireland. Listing each town through it's Irish translation, he continues to build a visual lan…
Episode 23 : The Place Names of Ireland (Part 1) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:21
This month, Eddie discusses the place names of Ireland. He traces how the Irish version of the name often contains important geographical references to the land itself. Eddie looks at the English version of these names,…
Episode 22 : The Black and Tans [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:44
This month, Eddie tackles the contentious subject of the Black and Tans and their arrival in Ireland in 1920. He traces their history as constables recruited into the Royal Irish Constabulary, and the reasons and incenti…
Episode 20 : The Care Of The Dead [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:28
Death has always been a mournful time. The transition from one world into another. In Ireland, the rituals and practices that surrounded a funeral and burial were both grand and precise. There was a respect there for the…