Remembering the Ireland We Once Knew

Before running water reached the home, water was collected from wells, springs and village pumps. Every bucket was carried with care because water was precious and needed for every part of daily life.

Women and children often made the journey to the well, carrying buckets or using a wooden yoke to balance two buckets at a time.

The water was brought home for drinking, cooking, washing, cleaning and caring for the animals.

Old stone wells were an important part of rural communities, and some became places of prayer and tradition, especially holy wells.

From the old stone well to the kitchen hearth, carrying water was an everyday task that connected the family, the home and the land.

A simple memory of rural Ireland — when every drop was precious.

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