Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ritual site - holy well
Hartwell Lower, County Kildare, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Hartwell Lower
- County
- Kildare
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- St. Bridgets Well
- Coordinates
- 53.23858, -6.57577
- SMR number
- KD020-004----
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
Fitzgerald (1915-7, 494) described, 'St. Bridget's Well on Mr. Lyon's farm (as) … now sadly neglected; it is unenclosed, and trodden around by cattle. Though a strong flow of water boils up in it, yet from its position by the side of a gripe, it would require a native of the locality to point it out.' Jackson (1979-80, 161) says the well was visited for toothache and earache cures and tokens were left at it. It was said to have been formerly linked via St. Brigid's path to her church at Kill (KD019-008002-). However, the well was not associated with a pattern and is now covered by a pump house. Visible on a 2005 aerial photo (OSi Orthophoto) with a very large drainage channel leading NNE from the well-house. A holy tree (KD020-004001-) once stood nearby. (Herity 2002, 23 (65))
Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy
Date of upload: 10 June 2011
Nearby in the register
- Ritual site - holy tree/bushunder 1 mi
- Burialunder 1 mi
- Urn burialunder 1 mi
- Enclosureunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.