Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

In flood plain on SW side of Funshion River, just N of Glanworth. Well overgrown; water runs off to NE; site marked by sandstone plinth (1m x 1m; H 1m) to SE; no longer in holy use. Smith (1750, vol. 2, 344) described 'a fine spring, bubbling out of a limestone rock, of limpid water...over the well is a large old tree on the boughs of which an infinite number of rags of all colours are tied'. Windele (1897, 379) called it 'famous' and said that those who drank from it would 'ever after have a longing desire to return to Glanworth'. Named 'Tober na scruinahur holy well, St Dominick's well or perhaps the well of the priest' in OS Field Book of 1840 (Grove White 1905-25, vol. 3, 135). Byrne (1912, 174) gives well name as 'Cronee, probably dedicated to a virgin of that name which appears in Martyrology of Tallaght'. An obelisk to shelter pilgrims from bad weather was built near the well c. 1870 by local eccentric named Sheehan. This is illustrated and described by Byrne in Grove White (1905-25, vol. 3, 135, photograph opp. 132); it was 'about 18 or 20 feet' high, square in form and tapering to a point. Several crosses are built into the work and at one time it was surmounted by an iron cross. There is an arched chamber at the base...still closer to the holy well is another smaller structure, on which is fixed a little wooden case containing statues'. Plinth adjacent to well probably remains of this structure.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 4: North Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2000). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009

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