Barker's B&B

18/03/2026

26/03/2023

The 19th of March is a day to visit the holy well of St Joesph (also called Tobar Laictín or well of St Laictín), in the townland of Annagh, Miltown Malbay, as this is the feast day of both these saints.
This information about the well was written by Annagh National School in the Schools' Folklore Collection in the 1930s. It was collected from the teacher Tomás Ó hAodha.

'Tobar Laictín is a famous Blessed Well situated in the townland of Annagh about 3/4 of a mile from the Atlantic Ocean and one mile South of Sráid na Cathrach. The feast of Naomh Laictín is held on the 19th March which is also Saint Joseph's Day, and on this account the well is now called Saint Joseph's Well, but the old people always called it Tobar Laictín.
An old woman told me that the well was in Knockliscrane at the other side of the river, and it was removed by a miracle. One day a woman used the water from the well for cooking and that the well was removed at night.
An old man told me that one day the people were quarrelling about the use of the water and a strange man was sitting on the wall with a stick in his hand. "Stop your quarrelling" he said. "I will throw this stick and the well will spring up where it will fall". He threw the stick and it fell where the well now is in the townland of Annagh.
The daughter of the Landlord was on a visit to Rinn na Spáineach (Spanish Point). One day she went to Tobar Laictín and she dipped her lap-dog in the well in mockery of it. The following day she was reading a book on the Black Rock at Roinn na Spáineach when a wave washed her off and she was drowned. People said it was a punishment for desecrating the holy well.
On the 19th March people from every part of West Clare visit Tobar Laictín and perform "rounds". There are two sets of rounds, a long round and a short round. A decade of the Rosary is recited at each round. There is a Celtic cross in front of the well and the people go around it five times and they say one Our Father and one Hail Mary and one Glory be to the Father.

Sight, hearing, walk have been restored by the intercession of Naom Laictín.

Oh! let me spend one quiet hour
The Annagh's stream beside,
Where 'neath the ivy-mantled bridge
Its noiseless waters glide,
And let me dream when silence falls
Upon the peaceful scene,
Beneath the drooping thorns that shade
The Well of Saint Lacthteen.'

The photo was taken c.1900 for the Lawrence Collection.

17/01/2023

12/11/2022

An Irishman named Paddy got a call from his doctor. “I’ve some bad news for you… you have cancer and it can’t be cured. I’d give you two weeks to a month.”

Paddy, shocked and saddened by the news, managed to compose himself. He saw his son who had been waiting. Paddy said, “Son, we Irish celebrate when things are good and celebrate when things don’t go so well. In this case, things aren’t so well. I have cancer and I’ve been given a short time to live. Let’s head for the pub and have a few pints.”

After three or four pints the two were feeling a little less somber. There were some laughs and more beers. They were eventually approached by some of Paddy’s old friends who asked what the two were celebrating. Paddy told them that the Irish celebrate the good and the bad… he went on to tell them that they were drinking to his impending end. He told his friends, “I’ve only got a few weeks to live as I have been diagnosed with AIDS.” The friends gave Paddy their condolences and they had a couple more beers.

After his friends left, Paddy’s son leaned over and whispered, “Dad, I thought you said that you were dying from cancer. You just told your friends that you were dying from AIDS!”

Paddy said,”I am dying from cancer, son, I just don’t want any of them sleeping with your mother after I’m gone.”

08/06/2022

04/02/2021