SacredSpace102fm : 9 August 2015 - 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)

9 Aug 2015

9 August 2015 - 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) - Barrigone Blessed Well

On this week's programme Chris Dundon and Michael Keating join John and Ann in the studio. Chris tells us about the blessed well at Barrigone in St. Senan's parish and Michael reflects on the Gospel for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time. You can listen to the podcast of this week's full programme HERE.

The Blessed Well at Barrigone

Barrigone Blessed Well

Chris Dundon of St. Senan's Parish came on the programme to tell us about Barrigone Blessed Well which is on the road between Foynes and Askeaton. The pagan Irish just like the pagan Romans, worshipped many Gods. Manannán Mac Lir was their God of the Sea, and each river and stream had its own particular deity (divine status). Springs, especially strong springs in arid regions were specially venerated and to such spring the people came to worship and revere. We can assume that the well at Barrigone was one of these revered springs to which the local people came on certain days in each of the seasons.

Time passed and in 432 A.D. St. Patrick came to our land bringing the Christian message to our pagan ancestors. He came on the Munster Mission converted and baptised Aengus, King of Munster in Cashel journeyed to Penny Well, Patricks Well, out by Eas Geitine and so to Donnaghmore, now known as Robertstown. Like a politician at election time, St. Patrick always sought out the assembly places:- the aonach(fair), the crowd at the iománaίocht(hurling), the worshipers at the sacred shrine. We may presume that he came to Barrigone on such an occasion with the pagan people of the Hy Fidhgente gathered at the Well. Patrick brought them the good news and now for the first time the glistening waters were raised in the rite of Baptism and a pagan font had become a Christian Shrine – before baptising a large group Patrick would first bless the Well and hence the term ever since “The Blessed Well”. Patrick wise man that he was would not denounce or forbid the ancient practice of Well visitation rather would he give it a new and Christian interpretation. May we not perhaps presume too that it was here that he baptised Bulius and the men from Corca Baiscin(Co Clare) and from here sought out Mullagh Fidhne(Knockpatrick) from whence he blessed Clare and Kerry.

The Covered Altar at Barrigone Blessed Well

The name of Muirdeabhair would seem to mean “Disciple of Mary” from which we gather that he had a great love for the Mother of God. So too, had St. John the Evangalist (The Beloved Disciple) and so we begin to see the name Barraig Eoin make sense. A famous well in Morgans is called locally “Toberawhora” obviously Tobar Mhire, or Mary’s Well. Muirdeabhair dedicated his “Barraig” to St. John in Irish “Eoin” so Barraig Eoin means “The Blessed Well of St. John.” Today the people of the Ṹi Conaill Gabhra and from far beyond come to pray the rounds on the feast of The Assumption – Lá Fhéile Mhuire so bFomhar (Our Lady’s Day in the Autumn). To read more about Barrigone Blessed Well click HERE. To hear Chris's interview excerpted from the programme click HERE.

Gospel - John 6:41-51

The Jews were complaining to each other about Jesus, because he had said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven.’ ‘Surely this is Jesus son of Joseph’ they said. ‘We know his father and mother. How can he now say, “I have come down from heaven” ?’ Jesus said in reply, ‘Stop complaining to each other.

‘No one can come to me
unless he is drawn by the Father who sent me,
and I will raise him up at the last day.
It is written in the prophets:
They will all be taught by God,
and to hear the teaching of the Father,
and learn from it,
is to come to me.
Not that anybody has seen the Father,
except the one who comes from God:
he has seen the Father.
I tell you most solemnly,I am the bread of life
everybody who believes has eternal life.
am the bread of life.
Your fathers ate the manna in the desert
and they are dead; .
but this is the bread that comes down from heaven,
so that a man may eat it and not die.
I am the living bread which has come down from heaven.
Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever;
and the bread that I shall give
is my flesh, for the life of the world.’