Dublin Core
Title
St. James's Well
Description of Well Item Type Metadata
1 Name of well and saint
St. James Well, Ardfield
2 Townland, County, GPS
Ardfield, County Cork
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
When Amanda Clarke visited this well in 2016 there was a sign on the main Ardfield village road, she says the well sits, “on the bend in the road, slightly down from the road.” (clarke, 2016). Clarke goes on the describe the well house: “The stone wellhouse is low, long and rectangular and the water comes out through a specially cut channel. There is a slab in the front, presumably for prayers and for collecting the water. The stone with the carving on has been placed at the back of the wellhouse. A statue of St James is in a covered box looking out onto the well,” (Clarke, 2016).
5 Pattern day
St. James day is the well's associated pattern day, but practitioners would make the rounds on the day after because St. James day was spent in the pubs (SFC 0317, 196)
6 Offerings
Stones or pennies were deposited by people after completing ten rounds at the well (SFC 0317, 196)
7 Prayer rounds and stations
An entry in the Schools’ Collection of folklore explains how St. Jame’s pattern day fell from popularity in Ardfield:
On each side of the road refreshment cars were situated since early morning selling all kinds of refreshments and doing great trade. The Parish Priest Father O'Leary condemned this drinking to excess in the public houses, then the people did not continue it and year after year the crowd was getting smaller and soon it died away (SFC 0317, 196)
On each side of the road refreshment cars were situated since early morning selling all kinds of refreshments and doing great trade. The Parish Priest Father O'Leary condemned this drinking to excess in the public houses, then the people did not continue it and year after year the crowd was getting smaller and soon it died away (SFC 0317, 196)
8 Stories
An entry in the Schools’ Collection of folklore by Abelia Calnan explains how St. Jame’s pattern day fell from popularity in Ardfield:
On each side of the road refreshment cars were situated since early morning selling all kinds of refreshments and doing great trade. The Parish Priest Father O'Leary condemned this drinking to excess in the public houses, then the people did not continue it and year after year the crowd was getting smaller and soon it died away (SFC 0317, 196).
On each side of the road refreshment cars were situated since early morning selling all kinds of refreshments and doing great trade. The Parish Priest Father O'Leary condemned this drinking to excess in the public houses, then the people did not continue it and year after year the crowd was getting smaller and soon it died away (SFC 0317, 196).
9 Publications
Clarke, Amanda. 2016. “A clutch of wells around Castlefreke” holywellscorkandkerry.com, April 6. https://holywellscorkandkerry.com/2016/04/06/a-clutch-of-wells-around-castlefreke/
Schools' Collection of folklore. Vol 0317, pages 196-197
Schools' Collection of folklore. Vol 0317, pages 196-197