Holy wells

There is no superstition stronger in Ireland than a belief in the curative power of the sacred wells that are festooned across the country; fountains of health and healing some saint had blessed, or by which some saint had dwelt in ancient times. But it is noted that well-worship is even older than Christianity being essentially an early ritual of humanity, brought from the Eastern lands by early Aryan tribes. Ireland has some 3000 of these wells. Each and every one of them has a different origin, with different lore and customs growing up around them, different saints and different followers. They are an overlooked phenomenon that would be hard to explain to a visiting alien, but to the ardent followers, their supernatural vitality remains. In an increasingly sophisticated and secular world, these wells are one of the last great connections to another time and another belief system.