Dublin Core
Title
Holy Cross Well
Description of Well Item Type Metadata
1 Name of well and saint
Holy Cross Well, Kilwatermoy
2 Townland, County, GPS
Kilwatermoy, Co. Waterford
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
The well is 100 meters east of the old parish church ruins in the townland. No other information was found.
4 Cure
It is said that one must wash their eyes and ears in the well, which may be indicative of its curative powers to eyesight and hearing.
5 Pattern day
It is observed on the feast day which is 14 September. A mass is celebrated in the church afterwards and as of the 1950s, the pattern day was still observed.
6 Offerings
No information about offerings is available at this time.
7 Prayer rounds and stations
Rounds are made on the feast day, and as of the 1950s they were still being made. Pilgrims kneel at each corner and say a Hail Mary, Our Father, and "Glory as one round," for a total of five rounds made (SFC 0637:346).
8 Stories
According to the Schools Folklore Collection, “long ago feasts used to be held on this day at which vendors selling sweets and all classes of confectionery used to attend” (SFC 0637:346).
People also believed that there was a genus loci fish in this well, and if removed, the water a pilgrim had taken back to boil will not boil until the fish is returned back to its resting place.
People also believed that there was a genus loci fish in this well, and if removed, the water a pilgrim had taken back to boil will not boil until the fish is returned back to its resting place.
9 Publications
Broderick, Eugene. 2016. Patterns and Patrons: The Holy Wells of Waterford.
Schools Folklore Collection. 0637:345-346.
Schools Folklore Collection. 0637:345-346.
10 More
No other information is present at this time.