Biddys Early's Homestead

Ok so since we have 196 days (yes I really am counting!) before we leave I thought that I would start telling you all about some of the places we hope to see and give you what history I can about them . On a recent web search of ancient places in Ireland I came across Biddy Early's Homestead . After reading just the first few lines I knew I had to go there! If you know me you know that I am a very spiritual person. I don't follow any certain path. Some people may consider my way to be pagan or wiccan I consider my belief to be more of an Earthbound religion. And I think that is what attracted me to Biddy Early's Homestead.  So let me tell you about Biddy Early.

Biddy Early was a  famous Irish seer and healer she was often identified as Biddy "The Healer", "The Wise Woman", "The Witch" and this is the site of the remains of her homestead. It is located on a country road about 2 miles outside of Feakle Eastern County Clare, just north of the city of Limerick. The path that leads to her home is over grown and you apparently really need to know where the spot is. Once you know where it is, its just a short walk up the path  and at the top are the remains of her home. Which they say is over grown with ivy and other plants.





Road to Biddy's Homestead

                                             






Path to Biddy's



Biddy's Place



Doorway to Biddy's Home



The History of Biddy  Early:

Born Bridget Ellen Connors in lower Faha near Kilanena County Clare in 1798, Biddy was the daughter of a small land farmer, John Thomas Connors and his wife Ellen Early. Biddy is described as being small in statue and pretty. While she married four times she always used her mother's maiden name, believing that her gifts were inherited through the female line, Her mother taught her all about herbs and how to make potions, just as her own  mother had taught her.

At the age of 16 when both of her parents died within 6 months of each other Biddy found herself evicted from her family home and forced to work as a serving girl in the nearby towns of Feakle and Ennis. In 1817 she met and married widower Pat Mally, a middle-aged man from Gurteenreagh, who died a short time later. After the death of her first husband, she married his son, her "stepson" John Mally with whom she had a son called Paddy. Her son Paddy died when he was just 8 yrs old, of Typhus a common sickness in those days. After which Biddy started to use her healing powers giving out herbal cures tied-up in small sachets and liquid potions in small bottles with strict instructions for how they should be used.

Biddy's powers of clairvoyance are credited to a mysterious dark blue bottle. How this "magic" bottle came to her possession has become part of her myth and legend. Some say her late husband Pat Mally gave it to her before he died or that her son before he died. Others believe that it came to her from the "sidhe" (Fairies). There are some stories that say she had a way with the sidhe. That she had often stayed among them as a child. And that she could see and talk to them in their own language, which was different from Gaelic and that they taught her how to use her gifts.

During the Nineteenth century, superstitious belief in fairies and all things apparently supernatural was very strong, and when something happened that appeared to be miraculous, without aid of the church, it was commonly and easily attributed to witchcraft and the devil. As such the local church viewed Biddy with suspicion, and all the local clergy were totally opposed to her. As her fame spread they even tried to warn off people who went to visit her. One story of the churches opposition occurred in 1865. While visiting friends in Ennis, Biddy was charged with Witchcraft under the 1586 statute, however the case was dismissed due to lack of sufficient evidence. Many local people stood their ground against the clergy, maintaining she did nothing but good work.

Biddy died in April of 1873 having survived the great famine of 1846, several husbands, and a son. Although she had been at odds with the church for years, with the approach of death and what must have taken great humility and her inimitable courage, she made her peace and repented to the parish priest. She dies a peaceful death a few hours later. Apparently twenty seven priests attended her funeral and the parish priest asked the people to pray for her soul.

Efforts were made in the late 1960's to restore Biddy's cottage, by a local man Dr. Bill Loughnane T.D. the cottage was reconstructed and furnished with pieces of that period, but apparently nothing but misfortune followed him and the project was abandoned. It now stands abandoned and barely more then shell of what it once was.  The area in and around her home is alive with her energy and you can no doubt feel that she is present. They say that visiting this site will sway any non-believers that Biddy and her legend lives on.

I look forward to finding Biddy's Homestead and standing there where this amazing woman once lived and feeling this incredible energy that must still be there. And I will be sure to leave an offering for Biddy before I leave. They say that is the proper thing to do. That it is a sign of respect. Which this woman so rightly deserves. They say offerings of Whiskey, coins or jewelry are most welcome. I think I will leave her a little whiskey and a coin or two.  Every good Irishman will tell ya that there is nothing better then the taste of good whiskey and the sound of a coin or two in your pocket!