Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ritual site - holy well
Kilnamanagh, County Dublin, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Kilnamanagh
- County
- Dublin
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 53.30282, -6.35496
- SMR number
- DU022-005004-
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1790 "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
Site of St. Kevin's Well in the parish of Tallaght was a natural spring well located beside Kilnamanagh Castle (DU022-005001-) (Ó Danachair 1958, 86). According to Ó Danachair; 'There is no memory of devotions; the water is used for domestic purposes only. The well is said to have sprung up at the place where Kathleen, St. Kevin's temptress, did penance' (ibid.). The holy well was described by Ua Broin (1944, 195) as follows; 'Nearly 60 years ago a mound was pointed out to the present writer, between the shed and the passage to St. Kevin's Well. Saint Kevin's well beside the castle commemorates that saint's sojourn here for early training. Another well quite near, N. 21.2 cms., W. 2.5 cms., O.S. 22 is marked Holy Well on map 30 but tradition does not claim that it was a holy well'. This well was located SW of Kilnamanagh Castle and accessed from steps. It was still present in 1975. There has been considerable development in the area since with the construction of housing over this ecclesiastical site (DU022-005005-) leaving no surface remains visible of St. Kevin's Well.
Folklore collected from St Mary's School, Tallaght recorded the following details about St Kevin's Well; 'It was in Kilnamanagh that St Kevin spent his novitiate, and it was while reading his "office" that "Kathleen" first saw him. She returned again and again to see him, and in the end tried to speak to him. But Kevin would have none of her and taking a handful of nettles struck her in the face telling her to be gone. Immediately Kathleen fell on her knees begging his forgiveness, and on the spot a well sprang up. This well is still known as St. Kevin's Well, though the water has been changed, through a shore, to the other side of the castle' (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0795, Page 039; https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4428219/4386863/4456593).
Compiled by: Geraldine Stout
Revised by: Caimin O'Brien
Date of revised upload: 20 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.
Ua Broin, L. 1944 Clondalkin, Co. Dublin and it's neighbourhood. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 74, 191-218.
Nearby in the register
- Graveyardunder 1 mi
- Castle - tower houseunder 1 mi
- Bawnunder 1 mi
- Churchunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.