Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

Holy well known locally as 'Tobernea' in the townland of Newtown Blackrock, in the parish of Monkstown, possibly named after St. Nathí of Taney (Teach Nathí). Situated in a N facing cliff edge overlooking a grassy field adjacent to the coastline and the railway line. A holy well consisting of a brick built vault partially covering a chamber which leads into a lintelled recess. This originally lead into a further passage, the opening to this inner passage is now blocked. The well is known as 'Tobernea'. Traditionally, the waters from the well are thought to cure sore eyes. The site is no longer venerated (O'Reilly 1902, 178-186; Ó Danachair 1958, 234).
Holy well described in 1901 as follows; 'situated by the seaside under a steep hill rising above a reclaimed slob-land, and is fed by a subterranean rivulet that trickles down one side of a cleft in the granite of which the hill is composed. As it lies at right angles to a narrow tunnel about 3 feet wide (the brick-arched roof of which is shown in the uppermost accompanying picture), and a camera cannot be erected further away than about two feet from the aperture of the well, it is impossible to photograph more. Tobernea has always been regarded as a holy well by the people of the neighbourhood, who ascribed healing virtues to its waters, and their pronunciation of its name, "Tober-Nay", shows that it was dedicated to some person named Noe (Nay) or Nathi (Nahee). Mr. Gaffney, of Chapel-lane, who has resided in Blackrock for over sixty years, informs me that formerly the people of the neighbourhood often visited it, bringing, vessels with them in which to hold its water, with which they washed their eyes when troubled by affections of the latter. An empty marmalade-pot, standing on the shelf above the wall, probably still serves this purpose'.

Compiled by: Geraldine Stout and Padraig Clancy

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.

O'Reilly, P.J. 1902 Tobernea Holy Well, Blackrock, County Dublin. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 32, 178-86.