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Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland

Ritual site - holy well

Leixlip, County Kildare, Ireland

Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915) covering the location of Ritual site - holy well, Leixlip, County Kildare, with a pin at the register's coordinates
Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915), covering this location. Courtesy of the National Library of Scotland. The pin is ours, placed from the register's coordinates.

The record

Townland
Leixlip
County
Kildare
Country
Ireland
First-edition OS map
Spa Well
Latest-edition OS map
Spa Well (Chalybeate)
Coordinates
53.37068, -6.50651
SMR number
KD011-007----

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

4 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1799 map "Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).

Historical maps covering this location

  • 1799 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1811 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1830 · V.3:11-15:XV. Britisches Reich. C. Kon: Ireland. a. Prov: Leinster. Counties: 1-12 (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1891 · Ireland 16 (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)

Get directions ↗

This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗

The National Monuments Service's description

At the N foot of a short, moderately steep slope on the W bank of the Royal Canal. According to Jackson (1979-80, 160) the well is not associated with any specific saint but is believed locally to be near the site of a monastery. It is associated with a cure for sore eyes and is traditionally visited during August when rags are sometimes left on the bushes and briars beside it. A large, square, water-filled pool (L 9m; Wth 9m) is open towards the NW and NE but is enclosed by well-built, mortared stone walling on the SE and SW. No trace of an associated rag-tree/bush.

Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy

Date of upload: 10 June 2011

Nearby in the register

Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.

Sites and Monuments Record data: National Monuments Service, Government of Ireland, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Record text is reproduced unchanged. National Monuments Service, Government of Ireland · CC BY 4.0
All Ritual site - holy well in Kildare All County Kildare records All Ireland Heritage registers Historical markers (US)National Register of Historic Places (US)
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