Dublin Core
Title
St. Bartholomew's Well
Description of Well Item Type Metadata
1 Name of well and saint
St. Batt's Well, St Bartholomew
2 Townland, County, GPS
This well resides in Knockenagh South, County Kerry.
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
Saint Batt’s Well is a below ground well with a stone enclosure and steps, along with a large metal slab above it and a metal door blocking the entrance. When the door is opened, there are a few more steps that lead down to a circular pool of water.
4 Cure
This well serves as a cure for eye, throat, and back aches, along with rheumatism. To obtain the cure one is instructed to either drink the water or take some moss from the surrounding area, mix it with the well water, and apply to the affected areas.
5 Pattern day
The pattern day for Saint Bartholomew is August 24 but the well is visited often. According to one student from the folklore collection, "It is visited on the last Saturday in April, the Saturday before the twenty-fourth of June and the Saturday before the twenty-ninth of September." (SFC: 0406:086).
6 Offerings
Offerings range from holy figurines of saints and rosaries to money and ribbons. These offerings are left tied to surrounding trees or on top of the slab covering the well.
7 Prayer rounds and stations
In order "to pay rounds...[people] go around the well nine times and they say three rosaries..."(SFC: 0401:314).
8 Stories
On its healing properties: "Many people have been cured at this well. A woman had a very bad pain in her back. She went to the well in Coolard and did one round. When she reached home the pain went away." (SFC: 0406:087)
There is also said to be a trout that possesses some sort of magically quality who lives in the well. "...one day a woman took a gallon of water out the well to make tea. She took out the fish in the gallon and put the fish into the kettle with the water unknown to herself. She put it over a big fire to boil it and it was over the fire for hours and it did not boil. At last she looked into the kettle and she saw the fish. She took out the fish and took him to the well again and put him into it and so the kettle boiled."(SFC: 0407:084).
There is also said to be a trout that possesses some sort of magically quality who lives in the well. "...one day a woman took a gallon of water out the well to make tea. She took out the fish in the gallon and put the fish into the kettle with the water unknown to herself. She put it over a big fire to boil it and it was over the fire for hours and it did not boil. At last she looked into the kettle and she saw the fish. She took out the fish and took him to the well again and put him into it and so the kettle boiled."(SFC: 0407:084).
9 Publications
https://holywellscorkandkerry.com/2019/10/28/st-batts-well-an-abundance-of-cattle/
https://frpatmooredotcom.wordpress.com/2016/09/27/st-batts-well/
https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4666571/4662916/4667202?ChapterID=4666571
https://frpatmooredotcom.wordpress.com/2016/09/27/st-batts-well/
https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4666571/4662916/4667202?ChapterID=4666571
10 More
As mentioned in the provided local stories, the well is noted as being in Coolard. The well was moved after a woman washed clothing in the water to where it is today. The picture provided is from Clarke at holywellscorkandkerry.com