Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ritual site - holy well
Whitechurch, County Kildare, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Whitechurch
- County
- Kildare
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Lady Well
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 53.28781, -6.60454
- SMR number
- KD014-022004-
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
In a possible ecclesiastical enclosure (KD014-022002-), immediately outside, to NW, of a church (KD014-022001-) and graveyard (KD014-022005-). According to the OSL (Herity 2002, 46 (142)), 'About 50 perches (c.250m) from the old Church (KD014-022001-) to the west, there was a holy well, which bore the name, "Lady Well", or "Sunday Well". (I could not learn exactly which was the name, (it being nearly forgotten) as the well has not this long time (been) frequented, partly because of a limestone quarry being opened near it exhausted almost all its waters). Within 4 yards of that part of the ruin called the "Castle", (KD014022001-), there is another "Well", the denomination of which, if it ever had any, is now forgotten'. However, the 1st ed. (1838) of the OS 6-inch map names 'Lady Well' at the latter location, just outside the graveyard. No obvious visible surface trace survives.
Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy
Date of upload: 10 June 2011
Nearby in the register
- Ecclesiastical enclosureunder 1 mi
- Fontunder 1 mi
- Churchunder 1 mi
- Graveyardunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.