Intimate Landscapes : Traveling around Ireland one may occasionally see Hawthorn trees covered in strips of cloth knotted to their twigs and branches. Known as a Rag Tree1, the rags signify votive offerings to cure illness. Explore further and one may find a Holy Well2 nearby. According to folklore Holy Wells are wells that contain healing waters. The connection between the Rag Tree and the Holy Well are a curious feature of Ireland’s Traveler population—a tightly knit, ancient nomadic indigenous Irish subculture.