Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

This is a natural spring enclosed within a railing and embellished with a monument to St Patrick, murals and a grotto. A stone-lined bath in the front may have been built in the 1760's when the well was developed as a spa (Daly 1957, 20; Ó Danachair 1958, 76). This was a station well according to the Ordnance Survey Name Books. The waters were thought to cure sore eyes and inveterate ulcers. Still venerated.
Daly (1957, 20) recorded the following details about this well; 'Near Finglas village was another St. Patrick's well. A short time prior to 176o a stone arch was built over it, on account of cures which it had effected and for many years people visited there for the curing of sore eyes and inveterate ulcers. Patients applied rags dipped in the water to the affected part as well as drinking some of the water'.

See attached photos (01/02) taken by Caoimhín Ó Danachair, courtesy of and © National Folklore Collection, UCD. The Photographic Collection, F024.06.00184 accessible online at https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbeg/30816 and F024.06.00183 accessible online at https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbeg/16670.

Compiled by: Geraldine Stout

Revised by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of revised upload: 14 April 2023

References

Ó Danachair, C. 1958 The holy wells of county Dublin. Reportorium Novum 2, 68-87; 2, No. 2 The holy wells of County Dublin: A supplementary list, 233-5.

Lewis, S. 1837 A topographical dictionary of Ireland, 2 vols. London. Lewis and Co.

Daly, M. 1957 Curative wells in old Dublin. Dublin Historical Record 17, 13-24.

Tutty, M.J. 1971 Finglas. Dublin Historical Record 29, 66-73.