3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
“The well house was constructed over the well in 1858 by Navan Town Commissioners. A flight of six limestone steps lead down to a partially underground vaulted chamber. The inscribed plaque reads ‘Thubberorum rebuilt A.D. 1858 by Navan T.C.’ Navan Urban Council used the well in the early part of the twentieth century to fill its horse drawn watering cart. Today the well is dry” (French 2012: 68).
8 Stories
“Odran is said to have been the first Christian martyr in Ireland” (French 2012: 65).
“Tubberorum, off Ludlow Street in Navan, is said to be dedicated to St Odran, who crossed the nearby river in his chariot. One tradition states that St Patrick and his charioteer stopped here to take a drink from this spring to refresh themselves and their horses. John O’Donovan suggested that the well’s name may be derived from ‘uaran’, meaning cold” (French 2012: 67).
“In the nineteenth century, Collier, the highwayman, lived at Tubberorum Lane, next door to the courthouse. Collier had a fondness for drink but would occasionally abstain from alcohol and his friends would say “Collier is off the poteen, he is on the Tubberorum,”” (French 2012: 68).
9 Publications
French, Noel. 2012. Meath Holy Wells. Trim: Meath Heritage Centre.
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
The well is located “on the borders of Kildare and Offaly where his murder is traditionally said to have taken place. In the parish of Castlejordan John O’Donovan recorded the holy well, Tobar Ódhráin. The well lay near the edge of the bog of Brackagh in the townland of Clonmore near the old church of Kilkeerin” (French 2012: 65-66).
8 Stories
“Odran is said to have been the first Christian martyr in Ireland” (French 2012: 65).
9 Publications
French, Noel. 2012. Meath Holy Wells. Trim: Meath Heritage Centre.
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
“In the 1830s there was access to the well from the Ratoath Road by a parkway, although the well is nearer the Trevet Road. This path had become disused by 1900. In the 1980s Oliver Coogan described as down in the fields off the Bog Road and almost obscured by bushes and grass. The masonry and brickwork was still visible but the well itself had almost gone dry. Nearby is the source of the Broadmeadow River. In the 1930s the well was described as being about a quarter of a mile north of the village in a field known locally as ‘Boylan’s Garden.’ A whitethorn bush grew at the edge of the well” (French 2012: 63).
4 Cure
“The water was said to have the cure of swellings of any part of the body. A paste could be made of the water from the well and clay from an adjacent stream and then applied to the affected part for nine days. The water if used for domestic purposes will not boil” (French 2012: 63).
5 Pattern day
“A pilgrimage was made to the well on Sunday following the saint’s feast day of 27 November. By the 1930s the pilgrimage had faded out but people still visited the well over nine consecutive days and day a Pater, Ave and Gloria each time. No offerings were made at the well” (French 2012: 64).
8 Stories
“St Sechnaill was said to be a nephew of St Patrick and the church and town are named in his honour. St Sechnaill composed a praise poem dedicated to St Patrick and was said to have been the first bishop who died in Ireland. St Patrick and St Sechnaill were on their way to Trevet and paused to drink at this pool. St Sechnaill blessed the pool” (French 2012: 63).
“In 1740 Isaac Butler noted the well dedicated to St Sechnaill and said the well was said to be purgative containing Sulphur. At that time the well was covered by a number of large trees. In 1836 O’Donovan noted the well, Tobar Naomh Seachnaill, where stations had been performed formerly. The custom was revived and by the 1920s large numbers were attending on the saint’s feast day in November” (French 2012: 63).
9 Publications
“Ballinakill was the last home of the Kindelans, the O Ciondealbháin, former kings of Laoghire and patrons of St Ultan’s monastery at Ardbraccan. It is natural that they should have dedicated the well at Rathcore to the same patron” (French 2012: 62).
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
The well is located “about 150 yards from the Protestant church…the well was closed up with mud and sedge by 1837. The well may have been closed by a local tenant to prevent the pattern on his lands…In 1930s the well was described as partly closed in and no pattern or religious ceremonies took place at the site” (French 2012: 62).
4 Cure
“John O’Donovan recorded that the saint’s name was then anglicized as Hoult, and his blessed well called Tobar Ultain was reputed to have cures” (French 2012: 62).
8 Stories
“Ballinakill was the last home of the Kindelans, the O Ciondealbháin, former kings of Laoghire and patrons of St Ultan’s monastery at Ardbraccan. It is natural that they should have dedicated the well at Rathcore to the same patron” (French 2012: 62).
9 Publications
French, Noel. 2012. Meath Holy Wells. Trim: Meath Heritage Centre.
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
“In the 1830s John O’Donovan recorded a Tobar Ultain, in Irishtwon/Tubberulton in Burry parish, two miles southwest of Kells. The Kells-Athboy road passes along its eastern extremity. O’Donovan wrote that the parish of Burry was dedicated to St Ultan. The well had disappeared as a drain had been constructed and the water had been diverted” (French 2012: 61).
9 Publications
French, Noel. 2012. Meath Holy Wells. Trim: Meath Heritage Centre.
10 More
“There was a Tobar Ultan in Piercetown townland in Balrathboyne parish. The owner of the field sank a ditch and the well disappeared only to re-appear on the opposite side of the road” (French 2012: 62).
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
The well “is located in the Glen. The well is situated in the woodlands near Glen House. In the 1940s the lands on which the well was situated was held by William Tuite… today the well is dry but the stone surrounds are still preserved in a steep sided bank” (French 2012: 55-56).
6 Offerings
"St Johns Well was once the centre of an annual pilgrimage. Pilgrims used to leave items behind at the well tied to branches of the overhanging trees. Rags, handkerchiefs and pieces of cloth were left as tokens of gratitude – or more often expectancy. By 1942 this custom and the pilgrimage itself had since died out” (French 2012: 55-56)
9 Publications
French, Noel. 2012. Meath Holy Wells. Trim: Meath Heritage Centre.
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
“In 1836 John O’Donovan noted a well near the church of Loughan. Cogan stated that there was a holy well dedicated to St Anne at Loughan, Carnaross. Loughan parish was dedicated to St Anna. There well was being visited up to recent times. It is said to have lost its curative powers after someone bathed their sick greyhound in the well.
9 Publications
French, Noel. 2012. Meath Holy Wells. Trim: Meath Heritage Centre.
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
“In Staleen townland, Donore parish John O’Donovan recorded a well called Tobar an Manna, which English speaking people called St Anne’s Well” (French 2012: 52).
5 Pattern day
“Some people told O’Donovan that the patron day for the parish was St Mainne’s day, 5 July but others told him the 9 October but could not tell him the patron saint’s name” (French 2012: 52).
8 Stories
“According to a schoolchild in the 1930s St Anne was in the wood and the devil appeared to her. The saint climbed a tree and the devil chased after her. The saint jumped down and her hand came to rest on a big stone. A well sprung up where she landed on the ground and it was named St Anne’s Well. The marks of her fingers and thumb are still to be seen on the stone beside the well” (French 2012: 52-53).
9 Publications
French, Noel. Meath Holy Wells. Meath, Meath Heritage Centre, 2012.
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
The well is “three miles north of Navan, near the tailing pond of Tara Mines. The well is located just outside the fence protecting the tailing pond. The well is located seventy-five metres southwest of the remains of St Anne’s Chapel. The well and the chapel were excavated in 1975-6 prior to the construction of the tailing pond. St Anne’s Well is a natural spring with the stone steps leading down to it. When it was examined by the archaeologists during the dig at Randalstown three rags hung from a blackthorn bush beside it and their condition indicated that they had been there for some time…In the 1930s the well was described as being situated beside Yellow River in Everand’s land, about 3 fields from Randlestown House” (French 2012: 51-52).
4 Cure
“In local folk tradition the water from this well was used as a cure for toothache, headache, and sore eyes. The well also had the cure for many diseases such as ... Ringworm, and Thrush” (French 2012: 52).
8 Stories
“At the chapel an imported Roman fibula of the first century AD was uncovered and was imported sub-Roman pottery dating to between fifth and eighth century AD” (French 2012: 52).
“Outside the door of the chapel there was a stone on which the print of two knees can be seen. It is said that it was here St Anne stopped to pray. The well and chapel were located within a large enclosure, possibly an Iron Age settlement. The presence of the first century Roman fibula and the proximity of the chapel suggest the existence of pre-Christian activity on the site. It was been suggested that St Anne’s Well was originally the centre of a pagan cult, perhaps associated with Anu, the mother of the Irish gods” (French 2012: 52).
“There was supposed to have been a tunnel between the chapel and Randalstown House. In 1986 a souterrain was uncovered in the townland. A well, known as the Meara Well, was also investigated by archaeologists at that time. This well was a stone-built structure possibly of late medieval date with a modern facing of concrete” (French 2012: 52).
9 Publications
French, Noel. Meath Holy Wells. Meath, Meath Heritage Centre, 2012.
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
“According to the Ordnance Survey letters there was a well at Harmonstown called Tobar Muire, about a quarter of a mile southwest of the old church” (French 2012: 49).
9 Publications
French, Noel. 2012. Meath Holy Wells. Trim: Meath Heritage Centre.
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
The well is located “in the Castle Demesne among the banks of the river Boyne. In the 1830s the Ordance Survey letters notes Lady Well, Tobar Muire, about a quarter of a mile north of the Hermitage of Erc” (French 2012: 48).
4 Cure
Cures sore throat, toothache, and sore eyes.
7 Prayer rounds and stations
“Pilgrims usually accessed the grounds by the Gothic Gates. In the 1930s crowds visited the well and the Rosary was said at 3 o’clock by one of the priests of the parish” (French 2012: 49).
8 Stories
“There were many stories recorded by school children in the 1930s in relation to the Lady Well. The water in the well is said to rise up at midnight on the night before the 15 August. The children wrote that previous landowners tried to close the well and prevent pilgrims coming to worship. The well sprang up nearby and when it was closed again it moved for the second time. Another story is that the gates of demesne were closed to prevent entry by pilgrims but the water in the well rose up and flooded the grounds of the castle. Orders were given to open the gates and immediately the water receded. From that time onwards the gates of the demesne were always open on 15 August 15” (French 2012: 48-49).
French records that “a man named Tom Neill visited the well about 1920 when he was almost blind. Having bathed his eyes with water from the well and prayed to the Blessed Virgin, his sight was almost fully restored. A disabled child collecting sticks was supposed to have been cured at the well” (French 2012: 49).
Some of the pilgrims visited the nearby Hermitage of Erc and viewed the Apostle’s Stone which displayed figures of the twelve disciples. Slane prepared for the months before Lady Day and a sports day and fair evolved from the pilgrimage. Thousands of pilgrims descended on the village from all the surrounding area and further afield. The hungry crowds were fed in local houses and the pubs did a great trade. The Lady Well festivities were revived in 2008” (French 2012: 49).
9 Publications
French, Noel. 2012. Meath Holy Wells. Trim: Meath Heritage Centre.
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
“In Killyon Manor grounds Lady Well is situated at the side of the avenue to the house, near the graveyard. Near the site of the well is a pre-historic tumulus and the site may have been the site of a chieftain’s residence” (French 2012: 46-47).
4 Cure
“Large crowds attended the well in the 1930s, many taking water in the hope of a cure of toothache or some other pain” (French 2012: 47).
5 Pattern day
“In the 1930s pilgrims visited the Killyon well on 15 August and did the rounds…the well is visited on its pattern day, when ceremonies take place at 3’oclock and also on the days prior and after the day” (French 2012: 47).
7 Prayer rounds and stations
“While reciting the Rosary pilgrims walked in a circle on the five flat stones which surround the well, saying fifteen Hail Mary’s, three at each of the five steps. Pilgrims then blessed themselves with the water” (French 2012: 47).
8 Stories
“A local tradition stated that at the time of St Patrick the residence was donated to Liadhán, who founded a church there. The first bishops of Clonard/Meath had their residence at Killyon. Legend says that one August morning a priest was about to say Mass in the little church at Killyon when he discovered that there was no water. The nearest well was some distance away but when he went outside the church the priest discovered that a well had spring up no more than ten yards away from the gable of the building” (French 2012: 47).
“In the 1830s John O’Donovan notes the holy well in the churchyard at Killyon. He described the well at the gable of the old church and states that it was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. According to O’Donovan St Kieran of Ossory founded the church of Killyon for his mother Liadain” (French 2012: 47).
9 Publications
French, Noel. 2012. Meath Holy Wells. Trim: Meath Heritage Centre.
10 More
The level of the water in the well is dependent on the level of water in the nearby Deel river. The water in the well was very low until it rises up on the 15 August. In the 1940s a pattern was held every August when the parishioners marched in procession from Killyon Church. Having reached the well the Parish Priest recited the Rosary. Afterwards a sports meeting was held in the G.A.A. grounds not far from the well. In the Marian Year of 1954 Fr Matthew Clavin P.P erected as a statue of Our Lady and reconstructed the stonework around the well. The well was again restored in 1999” (French 2012: 47).
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
The well is located “near Killeen Castle…Today the well is located on an island in the middle of the lake, just beside the driveway to the Club House at Killeen” (French 2012: 46).
4 Cure
Cures warts. French notes that “in the 1930s there as a big stone with the carved heads of saints at the well…To be cured you had to say five ‘Our Father’, five ‘Hail Mary’s’ and five ‘Glory be to the Fathers’ to each of the stone heads” (French 2012: 46).
8 Stories
“In medieval times there was a confraternity at Killeen dedicated to the Blessed Virgin” (French 2012: 46).
9 Publications
French, Noel. 2012. Meath Holy Wells. Trim: Meath Heritage Centre.
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
The well is located “on the Headfort Road outside Kells” (French 2012: 45).
8 Stories
“This well is said to have its name derived from a lady being thrown from a horse and being killed there. It is said that a ghost of the lady appeared at the well” (French 2012: 45).
9 Publications
French, Noel. 2012. Meath Holy Wells. Trim: Meath Heritage Centre.
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
The well is located “just across the Boyne River from Ballyboggan Abbey and in County Kildare…The well is shaded by a sycamore tree to which votive offerings were tied” (French 2012: 45).
5 Pattern day
French records that “a fair and a pattern were held at the well at harvest time” (French 2012: 45).
9 Publications
French, Noel. 2012. Meath Holy Wells. Trim: Meath Heritage Centre.
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
French notes that “the well was located at a swampy hollow at the end of a field in the townland of Smithtown. There was no trace of the well in the 1930s but it had a reputation as being a very reliable source of water even in the dry summer months” (French 2012: 42-43).
9 Publications
French, Noel. 2012. Meath Holy Wells. Trim: Meath Heritage Centre.
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
“In the 1930s the well was described as about three feet in diameter and about three feet wide and was neglected. No pattern was held there at the time. In recent years a wall was erected around the well and steps allowing access to the water were constructed. The well features on the Clonard Heritage Trail. For the Clonard pilgrimage in 2011 a new entrance was created to the well to facilitate pilgrims” (French 2012: 42).
4 Cure
“Cures were attributed to the waters of St Finian’s Well. St Finian is said to have bestowed a blessing on the people of Clonard whereby nobody from the are would ever be killed by lightning” (French 2012: 42).
8 Stories
“Born in the latter half of the fifth century in Myshall, Co. Carlow Finian studied under St Foirtchern of Trim before travelling to Wales for further studies. Led by an angel to Clonard Finian founded a monastery and school of learning beside the river Boyne at Cluain-Eraird, Erard’s lawn or meadow. St Finian became known as a great teacher and students flocked to Clonard, at one point three thousand students were attending the school including twelve who were to become apostles of Ireland. Ciarán of Clonmacnoise, two Brendans, Canice and Colmcille of Iona are among the many students to have trained under Finian” (French 2012: 41).
“St Finian had a cow and no matter how big a vessel was the cow couldn’t fill it with milk. One day a man arrived and said he had a vessel that the cow could not fill and produced a strainer or a sieve. The cow was milked and the milk miraculously filled the vessel” (French 2012: 41-42).
“St Finian of Clonard died from yellow fever about 548 and his feast day is 12 December” (French 2012: 42).
“Clonard went on to become the seat of the bishop of Meath and today Finian is the patron saint of the Diocese” (French 2012: 42).
“One of St Finian’s main considerations when selecting the site for his monastery at Clonard was access to a clean water supply. Wells provided clean water and could be used as a source of holy water and even utilized for baptizing new converts. An angel warned Finian to move the well from the spot he had selected and leave that ground as the cemetery and that is what Finian did. Leaving Ard na Reilig, the height of the cemetery, Finian founded his monastery nearby and dug a new well. St Finian moved his monastery to the hill called Church Hill and the well on the eastern side is now the holy well” (French 2012: 42).
9 Publications
French, Noel. 2012. Meath Holy Wells. Trim: Meath Heritage Centre.
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
According to French, “there was a holy well dedicated to St Kieran in Loughcrew. In the 1830s John O’Donovan recorded the well near the church, not far from the residence of Mr. Napper. The Church of Ireland church at Loughcrew, erected about 1843, was dedicated to St Kieran” (French 2012: 40).
9 Publications
French, Noel. 2012. Meath Holy Wells. Trim: Meath Heritage Centre.
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
The well is located “about a half a mile to the west of Oldcastle…in the area of Rudagh the well is marked on the OS maps as a holy well but without a dedication…Around St Brigid’s Well there were fourteen stones which represent the fourteen Stations of the Cross” (French 2012: 35-36).
8 Stories
“The Schools Folklore Collection records that the well was very seldom visited in the 1930s but previously was visited by pilgrims” (French 2012: 35).
“There was a story told of a certain man who tried to drain the well on a number of occasions but he was unsuccessful and her remained ever after an unlucky man” (French 2012: 36).
“The parish of Oldcastle is dedicated to St Brigid and both churches in the town are dedicated to her. An archaeological excavation in 2003 uncovered a large well on Castle Street, Oldcastle within the vicinity of St Bride’s Church. The well was keyhole-shaped and constructed of stone, red brick and timber. The archaeologist suggested that the well might be linked to the church and constructed at a similar time period c.1816 but there was no documentary evidence for the construction of the well or its dedication” (French 2012: 36).
9 Publications
French, Noel. 2012. Meath Holy Wells. Trim: Meath Heritage Centre.
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
“John O’Donovan recorded St Bridget’s Well in Kilbride townland in Nobber parish” (French 2012: 35).
5 Pattern day
“In the early nineteenth century a pattern was held on the first Sunday in August but this has been discontinued in the 1830s due to interference by the magistrate” (French 2012: 35).
8 Stories
French records that “in a small field in the south east of the townland human bones had been dug up in 1835. There was a tradition that there was a church and graveyard on the site but no one remembered having seen any remains of them. The church may have been near the remains of Kilbride ringfort” (French 2012: 35).
“O’Donovan recalled that it was customary on that day to swim horses in a part of the nearby River Dee called Log-na-gCapall, the hollow of the horses. The well does not appear on any of the OS maps” (French 2012: 35).
9 Publications
French, Noel. 2012. Meath Holy Wells. Trim: Meath Heritage Centre.
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
According to French, “the schoolchildren of Grangegeeth National School recorded St Brigid’s Well, three miles north of the school in the 1930s Folklore Collection. The well was then located on Skelly’s lands…Four trees stood around the well which was covered by a flagstone” (French 2012: 30).
5 Pattern day
“The feast day was 2 February” (French 2012: 30).
7 Prayer rounds and stations
“The pilgrimage consisted of four stations and four rounds. Pilgrims took three drinks at the end of each round. People washed their feet and faces in the stream from the well” (French 2012: 30).
9 Publications
French, Noel. 2012. Meath Holy Wells. Trim: Meath Heritage Centre.
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
The well is located “at Johnstown House, Enfield. There was a Brigidine convent nearby in the early medieval times. The well is located in a small copse about 200 yards south of the house and not far from the Blackwater River. In the 1930s a description said it was a fine deep well containing the purest of spring water. It is partially covered over by a large flat stone. The flagstone was shattered in the 1950s when a tree fell on it. In 1969 a pump house was erected over the well and the water was used for domestic purposes” (French 2012: 29).
4 Cure
Cures sore feet and eyes.
5 Pattern day
There is a pattern to the well on St Brigid’s Day.
8 Stories
“The well provided water for the construction of the new hotel” (French 2012: 29).
“A school child in the 1930s recalled that an old resident said that she was often sent by her mother to the well for the soft white said to scour stools, chairs and other wooden furniture” (French 2012: 29).
“There is supposed to be a curse attached to the Johnstown House, namely that the owner never lives to see his eldest son come of age” (French 2012: 29-30).
9 Publications
French, Noel. 2012. Meath Holy Wells. Trim: Meath Heritage Centre.
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
“About a mile north of Drumconrath are the remains of Drumbride church and cemetery. A stone at the church is connected to St Brigid and was associated with an arduous pilgrimage with penitents having to negotiate a long distance on their knees” (French 2012: 28).
9 Publications
French, Noel. 2012. Meath Holy Wells. Trim: Meath Heritage Centre.
10 More
“The pilgrimage is more associated with St Colmcille and his well” (French 2012: 28).
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
“Between Dollardstown townland and the parish of Ardmulchan there is a bridge called Brideswell Bridge, the name being taken from a well dedicated to St Brigid. The well is about ten yards from Brideswell Bridge and is called Tobar Brighde or Bridgit’s Well. A swing gate allowed access to the well” (French 2012: 28).
5 Pattern day
“In recent years as part of a parish pilgrimage Fr. Farrelly said the Rosary near part of the well” (French 2012: 28).
9 Publications
French, Noel. 2012. Meath Holy Wells. Trim: Meath Heritage Centre.
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
The well is marked by a stone, “uncovered opposite Killyon School in 1994” (French 2012: 28).
8 Stories
“Tradition states that St Brigid met St Brendan at this spot in Clondalee. Brigid allowed Brendan’s sheep drink from her well under the stone. One of the sheep tried to get away and Brigid intervened. She slipped and the marks from her fall are to be seen on the stone. St Brigid is also associated with St Finian of nearby Clonard. Finian studied under Brigid and Kildare before founding his monastery and school at Clonard” (French 2012: 28).
9 Publications
French, Noel. 2012. Meath Holy Wells. Trim: Meath Heritage Centre.
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
Cures warts. To obtain the cure, “the person who had the warts had to put in a straight pin into the well for every wart they had. The pins were then left in the well and the warts would disappear” (French 2012: 27).
9 Publications
French, Noel. 2012. Meath Holy Wells. Trim: Meath Heritage Centre.
10 More
The well was “recorded by a school child in the 1930’s” and it is reported that “no pilgrimages took place to this well” (French 2012: 27).
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
According to French, “in the 1930s the well was situated in a marshy field at the back of Patrick Bennett’s house. The well was surrounded by a group of medium sized boulders; on the largest of these could be seen knee prints and the prints of the lower part of the palm. These are the imprints of St Brigid’s knees and hand as she knelt to get a drink…From a side of the well a small stream flowed watering the surrounding fields” (French 2012: 27).
4 Cure
Cures vomiting, sick stomach, and headache. French notes that “in the 1930s people of the area kept a bottle of the water in their homes for such illnesses” (French 2012: 27).
8 Stories
“St Brigid is said to have visited the well on her way from Tara to Teltown” (French 2012: 27).
“A local tradition was that no one should take the water from the well on Hallow Eve” (French 2012: 27).
“There was a story told that a young maid from a nearby house came to draw water from the well. On returning from the well she slipped, fell and spilled the water. She returned from the well to get more water and when she arrived home she fell dead at the door of the house” (French 2012: 27).
9 Publications
French, Noel. 2012. Meath Holy Wells. Trim: Meath Heritage Centre.
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
According to French, “the well was in the centre of tillage field. This fine big well was on lands belonging to Patrick Brady. People took water from the well for curative purposes” (French 2012: 26-27).
9 Publications
French, Noel. 2012. Meath Holy Wells. Trim: Meath Heritage Centre.
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
The well is located “at a distance of a mile from Drumconrath village, on the road leading to Carrickmacross,…named Tobar Columcille” (French 2012: 20). Additionally, “there was an old church in Drumbride townland called Teampull Chuilmcille. Just north of the old church there was a flag stone, called Leac na nglun, the flagstone of the knees. It had hollow in its surface which were said to have been made by St Colmcille’s knees as he knelt in prayer” (French 2012: 20-21).
5 Pattern day
"There was a pattern held at the well in the nineteenth century” (French 2012: 21).
7 Prayer rounds and stations
"Stations were formerly made from Colmcille’s Well to the old church” (French 2012: 21). French notes that “pilgrims were obliged to go on their knees from this well to Drumbride Church, such a long distance that only one person ever managed to complete the route” (French 2012: 21).
9 Publications
French, Noel. 2012. Meath Holy Wells. Trim: Meath Heritage Centre.
10 More
“A well appears in the townland of Newstone on the OS maps from about 1909” (French 2012: 21).
“The well was recorded by a schoolchild in the 1930s but no one visited the well at that time” (French 2012: 21).
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
The well is located “in the parish of Collon, about two miles south of Collon and a quarter of a mile from the Slane-Collon Road. In Glasallen townland St Colmcille’s Well was situated in a beautiful valley and is marked as a spring on the OS maps” (French 2012: 18). Additionally, “the well was a deep spring well about five feet in diameter. The well was surrounded by white-thorn trees and stood a little way away from a field boundary…The well was covered by a large flagstone and flags formed steps down to the well” (French 2012: 19).
4 Cure
Cures sore feet and eyes, back ache, eye disorders. To cure sore feet or eyes, “people washed in the stream running from the well” (French 2012: 20). Also, “a bottle of water from the well protected a house particularly during thunderstorms” (French 2012: 20).
5 Pattern day
Rounds were made at the well on the 9 June. The well was also visited on the eight days after the saint’s day, making it a nine day pattern" (French 2012: 19).
6 Offerings
“Strings and pieces of cloth were attached to the trees by visiting pilgrims. A mug was supplied at the well for drinking after completing the rounds” (French 2012: 19).
7 Prayer rounds and stations
"Usually the Rosary was said as the people went around the well and knelt for each decade. There were five bushes around the well and each of these was a station and a decade of the Rosary was recited at each station. After the first round pilgrims took three drinks of water from the well” (French 2012: 19-20).
8 Stories
“It is said that St Colmcille was travelling from Kells to Monasterboice when he became thirsty. He drank from the spring, rested and then blessed the well” (French 2012: 18-19).
“it was the usual custom of among old people in the parish to go to the well barefoot and not eat anything until they returned” (French 2012: 20).
“Isaac Butler visited the well in 1774 and said that thousands of country people assembled there. He wrote that after a solemn service performed by several priests in the attendance ate, drank, and made merry. Football was played and sometimes great quarrels arose with several people going home with broken and sore limbs” (French 2012: 20).
“In 1916 Fr. James Dolan C.C. Collon revived the custom of the rounds” (French 2012: 20).
“A school child in the 1930s said there was ‘no authentic’ cure mentioned in connection to the well. Another schoolchild recorded that abuses had crept in and mostly young people went there for amusement. The last pattern was held in the late 1950s or early 1960s. the land was sold and reclaimed. The well was filled and the bushes surrounding it were removed in 1965 but memories of the well and pattern survived. Celebration of the pattern has been revived by the Broomfield & District Resident Association in recent years” (French 2012: 20).
9 Publications
French, Noel. 2012. Meath Holy Wells. Trim: Meath Heritage Centre.