One of the great Irish traditions was the fact that nearly every home had a holy water font at the door. Everyone was blessed as they left the house. The blessing was given by whoever was the owner of the house. Children were blessed on the way to school and visitors were blessed as they journeyed home. I have happy memories of visiting my grandparents in Ennis every summer and Christmas and my granny ‘drowning’ us as we left the house.
It is a tradition that has largely disappeared and so vanishes the fact that blessings were given not just by the priests and our connection to the belief from earliest times of the healing, and sustaining powers of water.
So how about recapturing one of our early traditions? The font pictured above is simple and will be on sale in the bookshop from late September (priced at €9). Holy water is always available from the baptismal font. So please go for it!!
