Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

On a S-facing slope in a haggard located to the S of a laneway, which leads to a farmhouse further to the S. According to local information, this holy well is dedicated to St Behan and it provides a cure for skin disorders. Two penitential stations (CL016-158002-) and (CL016-158003-) are associated.
The well (dims. 1.2m x. 0.8m) is horseshoe shaped, open to the S, and is delimited by a drystone wall (H 0.4m). There is a wall recess on its W side. One step (Wth 0.55m) leads down to the brackish water. A canopy feature over the enclosing wall consists of a glass-fronted cement block-built press (Wth 0.9m, D 0.73m; H 0.6m) with a stone roof; it contains statutes of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Sacred Heart, as well as Lourdes holy water bottles. Beneath it, a recessed shelf holds mostly empty ink bottles. The well occupies the SW angle of a triangular cairn (c. 3.6m N-S; c. 3m E-W) or penitential station (CL016-158002-) that decreases in height from S (H 0.6m) to N where it is flush with the ground surface. A path outside the cairn, from the SW angle to the N apex, leads to the Saint’s seat which consists of four blocks cemented on top of each other and capped with a stone that is naturally scalloped and shaped, and looks similar to a tractor seat in appearance. The well and cairn are located within a stone-walled enclosure (c. 15m N-S; c. 5-6m E-W). A dried-up stream bed visible to the E of them exited the enclosure at SE. The 2nd penitential station (CL016-158003-) consists of a stone (dims. 0.8m x 0.5m; H 0.8m), D-shaped in section, leaning to the N. Damage on its S face appears to be the result of a crowbar. There is a small plantation of lime trees c. 10m to its S. In the past an attempt was made to extend this northwards, towards the round, and a number of saplings were planted but the following morning they were all found to have been pulled out of the ground, a sign that the saint was protecting the route of the round. When people did the round of the well, they approached it from the W, along the laneway, before tuning S and passing the stone, and then turning W again to cross a stile, S of the spring well, and proceeding to the well.

The following image has been uploaded: CL016-158001-_01.jpg

Compiled by: Olive Alcock and Lynda McCormack

Date of upload: 25 August 2022