Manchán Magan: 'There's a tradition the wells were places where women felt safe to gather'
Manchán Magan presents Ag Triall ar an Tobar, about holy wells, on TG4.
You can’t throw a stone in Ireland without hitting a holy well. There are as many as 3,000 sacred watering holes in Ireland, according to Ordnance Survey Ireland, which is more than any other country in the world – and that’s not just per capita, but in crude numbers. Many of them pre-date the era of Christianity. A revival in their interest has led to a six-part documentary series on TG4, entitled Ag Triall ar an Tobar. It’s presented by Manchán Magan.
“In this time where we’re exploring who we are and what our connection to heritage is, looking at wells in a documentary seems like the right thing to do,” says Magan. “Sacred wells are a key element in all cultures. The idea of people connecting to water is a primordial thing. Go to any indigenous culture and water is the root of their life. If you speak to an Aboriginal person in Australia they will say everything is water. They know we're made-up of water, roughly 60 percent, that all of their farming and their trees are dependent on the water system. Wells have practical purposes – it’s where you go to wash your clothes and to bathe in. Then there's sacred ones. In Mexico, they’re known as cenotes.
