Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated near the S end of an ecclesiastical enclosure (CL011-022001-), in a hollow outside the SE corner of a graveyard (CL011-022004-), in gently undulating, low-lying pasture. Indicated and named ‘Toberkeedy’ on the 1842 and 1920 eds. of the OS 6-inch map. Probably dedicated to St Caoide like the adjacent church (CL011-022003-) within the graveyard, with a pattern day here on 3rd March (Comber 1997, 38). This overgrown holy well is defined by an ivy-covered drystone wall (H 1m) (Kirby 2021), forming an oval enclosure (int. dims. 4.8m NE-SW; 3.7m NW-SE). There is an entrance gap (int. Wth 1m; ext. Wth 0.7m outside, 1m inside) at the NW. Within this enclosure lies the well itself, a large natural basin (L 2.4m; Wth 1.4m; D 1m) in the exposed limestone bedrock which was dry when inspected in 2000. At that time the landowner reported that the well was recognised and the wall built when the land was cleared c. 20 years previously. According to the landowner, before that clearance there had been walls and features around the well, including a probable track/roadway to the W. Brew (1998, 58) records an account of a very large tree at the well in c. 1930, and a tradition that this well was then considered to be blessed. The well is said to cure eye ailments (Kirby 2021).

Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Conn Herriott

Date of upload: 24 January 2023

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

Kirby, T. 2021 Tobarkeedy Holy Well, Cross. The Clare Holy Wells Project. Available @ Tobarkeedy Holy Well, Cross - County Clare Heritage Office

References

Comber, M. (ed.) 1997 The antiquities of County Clare: John O’Donovan and Eugene Curry: Ordnance Survey Letters 1839. Clasp Press. Ennis.