St. Mochuda's Well

Dublin Core

Title

St. Mochuda's Well

Description of Well Item Type Metadata

1 Name of well and saint

This well is known locally as “St Cuddy’s Well,” but Gary Branigan records it as “St. Mochuda’s Well” (Tobar Mhochuda).

2 Townland, County, GPS

St. Mochuda’s Well is located in the townland called Burrow, in County Dublin.

3 Physical description of well and its surroundings

The well appears to be in a field within view of a lake and a roadway. According to a field visit by Branigan, the well “is located at the end of Marsh Lane, just after a sharp left turn in the road in an area known locally as Chapel Bank.” Furthermore the well is “visible only as a large depression in the bank at the middle of the road, and is filled with stagnant, murky water, drained by a large flexible pipe. The original well, now submerged, is a small spring roughly lined with boulders,” (Branigan, 2012:20).

4 Cure

St. Mochuda’s Well is said to cure whooping cough.

5 Pattern day

On 1 August, a “large pattern took place.” This date is the same as the pre-Christian festival, Lúghnasadh (Branigan 20). The date is one of the more popular times for pattern days.

8 Stories

Locals say that the well possesses “a supernatural white eel.” Additionally, Branigan notes that the name likely came from a “chapel” that existed in the same location in the past (Branigan, 2012:20).

9 Publications

Branigan, Gary. 2012. Ancient and Holy Wells of Dublin. Dublin: History Press.

Geolocation