St Brigid's Well

Dublin Core

Title

St Brigid's Well

Description of Well Item Type Metadata

1 Name of well and saint

St Brighid’s Well (Tobar Bríde). Also known as St Margaret’s (Spa) Well.

2 Townland, County, GPS

Located in St Margarets townland of County Dublin.

3 Physical description of well and its surroundings

According to Gary Branigan, the well “is located at the end of the laneway behind the new Roman Catholic Church in the village of St Margarets. The well is a large brick-built tank likely to have been used for bathing in times past… It was previously three feet deep with constantly bubbling tepid springs said never to freeze, but regularly dry. When it is full of water, this is likely to be as a result of surface water run off rather than subterranean springs. Drainage works in the area are blamed for its present dry condition” (Branigan 2012:53).

8 Stories

There are two inscribed plaques on the south wall:
“A blessing
This ancient fount by Brighid blest,
A timeless stream its bounty pours,
Here let the pilgrim pause and rest,
Then seek in hope eternal shores.

A curse
Desecrate this holy place,
And join the Devil’s legion,
Drinking water will be scare,
In fiery nether regions.”
(Branigan 2012:53).

9 Publications

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

10 More

"It was commissioned by St John Plunkett of Dunsoghly Castle in the seventeenth century" (Branigan 2012:53).

Geolocation