Tobervilla (Tobar na Bile) Well of the Sacred Tree

Tobervilla (Tobar na Bile) Well of the Sacred Tree

Well of the Blessed Tree, Tobar an Bhile, St Crohane’s Well, or Tobervilla

Behaghane, County Kerry, Grid ref: V 57871 60854

On the way to the well, there are ruins from two abandoned Churches, a graveyard and a red gate. Around the well there are two small rocks with crosses on them, a massive rock with the inscription of a cross and a bush with colorful rags. There is also a round enclosure with the stations of the cross carved into the stones, ash trees and a statue of the Virgin Mary. Locals believe that this enclosure is located on the site where the holy tree associated with this well used to stand. The well itself is surrounded by a stone structure with flower beds and the name of the well on it. The clear water rises from the ground and follows the rock path down the hill.

This well has an eye cure.

The pattern day at this site is actually three consecutive days starting on July 29th at St. Crohane’s Well. The pattern was performed as a pilgrimage and included two other wells: Tober na Bearnan (a holy well on Eagles Hill) and Tobercrohane well. Visitors conducted rounds throughout the pilgrimage. Unfortunately, the attendance at this pattern day began to decline in the 1940s and now very few people attend it. (Clarke 2019).

Photos from when there was still a blessed tree show coins embedded within it. It is believed that these were an offering (Clarke 2019).

https://roaringwaterjournal.com/2019/02/03/introducing-the-holy-wells-of-kerry/
https://holywellscorkandkerry.com/2019/04/20/tobar-an-bhile-a-lot-of-serendipity/

There used to be a blessed tree called “old tree” in the area surrounding this site. It was an ash tree and locals believe that it was located where the Shrine to the Virgin Mary currently resides. They also believe that this tree marked the site of St Crohane’s final resting place and that it also possessed abnormal properties (Clarke 2019).