Dublin Core
Title
St Colmcille's Well, Kells
Description of Well Item Type Metadata
1 Name of well and saint
St Colmcille's Well
2 Townland, County, GPS
Kells, Meath
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
Located at the terminus of a thoroughly kept trail (of grass and stone) through a field called Crag Murray (or Flat Swamp) is the ancient St Colomcille's Well. The site immediately surrounding the well includes superstructure that reflects how the well would have looked long ago (thanks to the 2011 efforts of the Kells Archaeological Society). A three-walled structure with a flat rock covers the surface-point of the water, from which a stone-lined waterway extends in the direction of the return path (Dempsey, 2013).
4 Cure
Well said to heal pain in the head, legs, and teeth (French, 2012:22). Rites unknown for 'achieving' curative effects.
5 Pattern day
Pattern day is held annually on the day of St Colmcille's death, June 9th. A Patronal ceremony also takes place here on the eve of the Pattern day (Dempsey, 2013).
7 Prayer rounds and stations
In the early twentieth century throngs of people would celebrate on the eve of the Pattern day. They would recite the Holy Rosary to honor Saint Colmcille and musicians would perform from Kells and sometimes Dublin (French, 2012:21-2).
9 Publications
Dempsey, Jim. Megalithic Ireland. "St Colmcille's Well." http://www.megalithicireland.com/St%20Colmcille's%20Well,%20Kells.html; Thunder, John M. 1886. The Holy Wells of Meath. The Journal of the Royal Historical and Archaeological Association of Ireland, Fourth Series, 7:68, pp. 656; French, Noel. 2012. Meath Holy Wells. pp. 18-24; http://irelandssacredwater.com/holy-wells-in-ireland-map.html.