3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
tucked into a field boundary and has a semi-circular basin full of fresh clear water.The concave stone wall contains a slabbed shelf, full of offerings – white pebbles and a statue of the BVM. A single white rag hangs above the well.
4 Cure
warts and sore eyes
5 Pattern day
April 15
8 Stories
“Ruadhán is said to have caused the downfall of the ancient kingdom of Tara for he cursed the High King, Diarmuid Mac Cerbhaill, after he had gone against the rules of Christian sanctuary and wrenched a hostage hiding in a church. Aengus the Culdee in his Féilire, a sort of catalogue of saints written around 780AD, praised him as such:
An excellent flame that does not wane,
that vanquishes urgent desires.
Fair was the gem,
Ruadhán, lamp of Lorrha.”
9 Publications
Clarke, Amanda. "Gazetteer." Holy Wells of Cork. Accessed November 31, 2018. https://holywellsofcork.com/gazeteer/.
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
The well has a somewhat brief entry in the Archaeological Inventory: “Located in recess cut into bedrock. Now used for domestic purposes, has lost any religious associations.” It is situated near a bridge called St Ruadhán’s Bridge. The well is on the side of the bridge, which is under a mass of spindly birch trees that makes the area look tricky to get to. The well is enclosed in a large, modern, circular cement pipe. The water is abundant and exceptionally cold and fresh. It looks like it has been used for some sort of domestic purposes.
5 Pattern day
Feast Day is the 15th April. Traditionally, the day the cuckoo is meant to make its first call according to the source: The Dictionary of the Saints of Ireland by Pádraig Ó Riain.
7 Prayer rounds and stations
No prayer rounds are mentioned. However, the path has once been metaled and contains the hallmarks of a Mass Path.
9 Publications
Clarke, Amanda. "Gazetteer." Holy Wells of Cork. Accessed November 4th, 2018. https://holywellsofcork.com/gazeteer/
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
The well is tucked into a field boundary and has a semi-circular basin full of fresh, clean water. The concave stone wall contains a slabbed shelf that is full of offerings.
4 Cure
The water is meant to be good for sore eyes and warts.
5 Pattern day
The Feast day of St Ruadhán (his name can be spelt in many different ways) is the 15th April.
6 Offerings
There are white pebbles, a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a white rag hanging above the well, and a crucifix rests on stones just below the shelf.
9 Publications
Clarke, Amanda. "Gazetteer." Holy Wells of Cork. Accessed November 4th, 2018. https://holywellsofcork.com/gazeteer/