3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
The well can be found off R671 towards Clonmel for 5km and it is signposted under “The Holy Well.” Josephine and Jerry Fitzgerald contributed to the many plaques that are there. There is a statue of saint Declan and a plaque that reads much about Saint Declan’s contributions. A statue of Mary stands nearby with two stone crucifixes. A stone altar is above and a pulpit is nearby for outdoor services.
(Broderick 2016: 45).
4 Cure
People who visit the site must visit three times in order to be cured. Many wash their limbs, as the well is believed to have curative properties for skin ailments. It is also believed to cure eye ailments as well (Broderick 2016: 45). Those wishing to bathe an afflicted portion of the body are asked to bathe in a small shielded area to which the well flows and water used for washing then flows away. Washing is not undertaken at the main font.
5 Pattern day
The pattern day is celebrated on July 24, and mass is celebrated at the site. Rounds are also done as part of the pattern day ritual.
6 Offerings
There is evidence of offerings deposited at the site. These include flowers and plastic flowers, rosary beads, rags, shoe laces, ties, and towels. The rags and towels are tied to a nearby bush. There is a wooden cross nearby where people hang rosary beads.
7 Prayer rounds and stations
The well does observe a long standing pilgrimage tradition, and people do a round at the well reciting the rosary. Many also wash their limbs in a nearby trough as part of the ritual.
8 Stories
Stories say that St. Declan stopped at this well himself for a drink on his way to Cashel. Much of its upkeep in the mid 20th century was due to the Fitzgeralds and their plaque contributions. These nearby crucifixes and pulpit are Church-approved forms of piety at the well and speak to modern traditions (Broderick 2016: 45).
9 Publications
Broderick, Eugene. 2016. Patterns and Patrons: The Holy Wells of Waterford. 45.
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
The well is enclosed by an earthy wall, with grass, Fuchsia bushes, and a stone pillar gate protecting the well. The well is coffin shaped and flush with the ground with a decorative window and the words "Marian Year 1954" written on the well in white pebbles. There is a blue PVC shelf below the white window with a small set of offerings to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Flower pots and other decorations are at the site.. A circular path surrounds the well with the intention of paying rounds clockwise. In front of and behind the well run channels to route the well overflow down the hill on which it sits.
4 Cure
The well is noted to have many cures, of which include sore eyes, any sore in general, and aching limbs. After paying rounds and saying prayers, the affected person may drink from a cup at the well and rub the water on their ailments.
5 Pattern day
People gather at the well the Saturday before St. John's and again in September.
6 Offerings
Offerings are placed onto the blue PVC shelf below the window. Items like candles, flowers, and small religious statues and medals are placed by the well.
7 Prayer rounds and stations
The well's prayer rounds are 9 rounds around the well and a repeated rosary every 3 rotations. Uniquely, the rounds are completed counterclockwise instead of clockwise--or the direction followed across Ireland has been confused in local tradition.
8 Stories
According to the School's Folklore Collection, there is one famous account of the well within the community: "One night a man called Barry went hunting a horse and he broke his leg. He was a long time lying on a settle bed near the fire and was not improving. There was a blessed well on the top of Cnoc an Óir, the name of it was Tobar na Croidhe (Well of the Bush). His mother took him on her back to this well, she brought home the moss of the well and rubbed it to his leg. She took him three times afterwards, and the third time he could walk it down. It never played on him again. His brother was sewing harness with a straddle needle. When he was pulling it out it stuck in his eye and blood spouted out of it. His mother took him to the same well and rubbed the moss to his eye. The third day he said to her I can see a trout in the bottom of the well. From that day out his eye was alright"
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
Today the well is capped and inaccessible. In the 18th century, the well was walled and covered by an arch of stone. Water gushed out from a slaty rock and through a round hole cut into it 2ft in diameter and 1.5ft deep. An avenue of sycamore trees led up to the well.
(Clarke 2021: https://holywellscorkandkerry.com/2021/01/30/cork-city-wells-revisited/)
4 Cure
The well was said to cure sore eyes, pains in the limbs, and "etc."
(Clarke 2021: https://holywellscorkandkerry.com/2021/01/30/cork-city-wells-revisited/)
5 Pattern day
St Bartholomew’s Feast Day is the 24th August
(Clarke 2021: https://holywellscorkandkerry.com/2021/01/30/cork-city-wells-revisited/)
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
The well is enclosed in a dry stone square structure beneath a cliff. During the twentieth century, hazel bushes grew around the well site and were recipients of votive offerings until recently. In a 2010 renovation, ten metres on either side of the well were cleared and additions were made to the site. The well and turas grounds are now separated from the road by a low stone wall. Another stone structure to the left of the well enshrines two tablets, one explaining who St Colmcille is and the other noting the rounds to be performed in the wellside turas with St. Colmcille's prayer. A small statue of the saint (under 12 inches in height) is behind glass in the same structure. The well structure now has a large cairn of stones behind and on top of it as it appeared in photos from 1900 (see Nic Chearáin, 2012:25).
4 Cure
The well is known as a cure-all. Cures particularly mentioned in the locality include toothache and aching limbs. Brídiín Nic Chearáin notes that if a petitioner slept beside the well, a cure was assured (2012:28).
5 Pattern day
The Pattern Day is June 9th (St Colmcille's Day), but the turas continues from June 9 through the 17th (a novena). Most people asked reported visiting during one of the nine days if they visited at all, but some came to the well on each of the nine days in 2017.
6 Offerings
Votives are now deposited on top of the well structure. These include candles, rosary beads, small religious statutes, empty medication bottles, sports trophies, limpet shells, hair ornaments, children's toys, and a water bottle brought from Lourdes.
7 Prayer rounds and stations
The turas was punctuated by three cross-inscribed stones. At the first one says 5 Our Father's, 5 Hail Mary's and 5 Gloria's. This is repeated at the second station stone. At the 3rd station, the numbers of prayers are seven of each. When stations are completed, one says the Rosary at the well walking around the well cairn three times and leaving a stone on the cairn with each circumambulation. After the completion of prayers, one may access the well water to bless oneself
8 Stories
St Colmcille was to have mislaid some books on one of his journeys. He prayed to find them and then spotted a deer with his books on its back. The deer managed to slide the books down into an orderly pile beside the well
9 Publications
The digitized Schools Folklore Scheme has accounts of the well.
Nic Chearáin, Brídiín. 2012. The Holy Wells of Fanad. Gaeltacht Bheo Fhánada: Fanad, Co. Donegal.
Lacey, Brian, Eamon Cody and Claire Cotter 2013. Archaeological Survey of County Donegal : A Description of the Field Antiquities from the Mesolithic Period to the 17th Century A.D. Donegal Heritage Office.
In his Life of Colmcille, Manus O'Donnell (d. 1564) wrote about the book-returning deer (see Lacey, Brian. 1998. Manus O’Donnell’s life of Colum Cille. Dublin: The Four Courts Press.).