Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

At the W end of a small hollow in an area of level karstic pavement. Marked and named ‘Toberinneenboy’ on the 1842 and 1920 eds. of the OS 6-inch map. Westropp (1900-1902, 109) recorded a tradition that this well was dedicated to ‘Inghean Baoith’ (Iníon Baoith), the patron saint of the neighbouring parish of Kilnaboy, but more recently it appears to have been associated with St Colman (Brew 1998, 57). This holy well comprises a natural bedrock basin (L 1.1m; Wth 1.05m) surrounded by a damaged circular drystone wall which incorporates large stones. The wall (int. H 1.5m; ext. H 0.8m; Wth 0.7m) remains upstanding only at the W, and is partly intact from W to N; elsewhere it has fallen and partly obscures the well (Kirby 2021). A narrow rock-cut channel (Wth 0.5m) extends E from the well. During an inspection in 2000 a lead/pewter crucifix was found on the wall at the W, and there were some coins amongst the stones. Just W of the well is a suboval penitential cairn (CL011-006001-).

The following image has been uploaded:
CL011-006----_01.jpg View of holy well from N with penitential station (CL011-006001-) in the background.

Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Conn Herriott

Date of upload: 18 January 2023

Brew, F 1998 The Parish of Kilkeedy: a local history, published by Author, Tubber.

References

Westropp, T.J. 1900-02 The churches of Co. Clare and the origin of the ecclesiastical divisions in that county. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, Series 3, vol. 6, 100-180.