Dublin Core
Title
St. Brigid's Well
Description of Well Item Type Metadata
1 Name of well and saint
St Brigid’s Well
2 Townland, County, GPS
Oldcastle, Meath
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).
“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.