Dublin Core
Title
St. Fanahan's Well
Description of Well Item Type Metadata
1 Name of well and saint
St Fanaghan's Well , MItchelstown, Co Cork
2 Townland, County, GPS
West of the Town of Mitchelstown, It can be accessed from Mulberry Lane - a half mile long pathway (thought to be 1000 years old) leads to what is effectively a small island between three small rivers.
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
Saint Fanahan is the patron saint of Mitchelstown. 1400 years ago this warrior saint built his abbey in Brigown (literally “Smith’s Hill” which is quite near where the well is located). The Holy Well is situated where three streams meet, which was considered a very sacred space in pre-Christian times. Therefore, it is reasonable to suppose that prior to Saint Fanahan’s tenure in the locality, it was a place of Water Worship or sacred in some way.
4 Cure
Cures are associated with the waters from the well - general cures.
5 Pattern day
25th November. Celebrations begin a week earlier
6 Offerings
coins into the well.
7 Prayer rounds and stations
The island has the stations off the cross around it.
8 Stories
There are stories aplenty. Perhaps the best known story is that occasionally an eel is spotted in the well which represents the spirit of St Fanaghan
9 Publications
https://visitballyhoura.com/explore/saint-fanahans-well
10 More
This is a very powerful and spiritual location which is very well looked after by the locals. The natural island surrounded by three small rivers which all join at the one single point would have been a very significant location for early christians - being a very easily explained analogy of the Blessed Trinity.