Dublin Core
Title
Toberhullamog/Tobar Cholmoig/Saint Colman's Well
Description of Well Item Type Metadata
1 Name of well and saint
Toberhullamog/Tobar Cholmoig/Saint Colman's Well
2 Townland, County, GPS
Salterstown, County Louth
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
This well rests right at the coastal water line in a hollow lined with big round stones. Despite the waves occasionally depositing sand, shells, stones, and more into the well, the water remains fresh. As of 1998, Mr. John Sarsfield cleans out the well in the winter, and takes care of it during the summer. He also collects the offerings, which range from stones and shells, to buttons, pins, religious medals, and more. He leaves candles for the the well's visitors (Connolly and Moroney, 1998) (Conlon, 2000).
4 Cure
People still visit the well for eye cures, which recent cures reported. In the past, the water was said to cure malarial fever and other diseases (Connolly and Moroney, 1998) (The Schools Collection).
5 Pattern day
Up to a century ago, "annual pattern took place at the well on the 7th of June, the feast of Saint Colman. The well was visited and from there a procession went to Salterstown Church and graveyard" (Moroney and Connolly, 1998).
6 Offerings
As mentioned previously, people leave stones, shells, beaded necklaces, pins, religious medals and more (Connolly and Moroney, 1998) (Conlon, 2000). It is also said that any people who take the offerings in ill will will confer the disease of the person who put the offering there (The Schools Collection).
8 Stories
According to the Schools Collection, a saint (likely Saint Colman, although it is unclear) and a chief, who didn't believe the saint was doing enough, went head-to-head at this spot. Upon being proven wrong by divine intervention involving the chief standing on one side of the scale, and a "God Bless You" spoken to the other side of the scale by the saint, the chief asked to be baptized then and there. Because there was no freshwater, the saint struck a rock with his staff and "there issued immediately forth a strong stream of water" (The Schools Collection)
9 Publications
"Holy Wells of County Louth" by Larry Conlon (2000)
The Schools Collection, Volume 0671, page 151-153: https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/5008858/4961378
"Stone and Tree Sheltering Water: An Exploration of Sacred and Secular Wells in County Louth" by Susan Connolly and Anne-Marie Moroney (1998)
The Schools Collection, Volume 0671, page 151-153: https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/5008858/4961378
"Stone and Tree Sheltering Water: An Exploration of Sacred and Secular Wells in County Louth" by Susan Connolly and Anne-Marie Moroney (1998)