Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ritual site - holy well
Knockaulin, County Kildare, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Knockaulin
- County
- Kildare
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- St. Johns Well
- Latest-edition OS map
- St. Johns Well
- Coordinates
- 53.11686, -6.77645
- SMR number
- KD028-038002-
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
4 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1790 map "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
Historical maps covering this location
- 1790 · Composite: Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1799 · 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)
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
On a N-facing pasture slope in the NW sector of Dun Ailinne, a ceremonial enclosure (KD028-038001-). In 1837, O'Conor, jointly compiling the OS Letters for Co. Kildare, recorded that the well, ‘ … was formerly frequented as a holy well, but is now dry’ (Herity 2002, 67 [197]). The holy well tradition persisted: Omurethi (1902, 362) recorded a local recalling ‘… this well to be resorted to for cures, and that he has seen rags tied to the briers overhanging it, and sticks and crutches lying about, and left there by people who had been cured of rheumatism, etc, after performing stations at the well. Unfortunately, as this is the only water supply on the hill, and the well is unprotected, cattle resort to it, and have turned it into a muddy lough.’ Survives as a small dry hollow. (Jackson 1979-80, 151)
Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy
Date of upload: 12 July 2013
This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 200/1954).
References
Herity, M. (ed.) 2002 Ordnance Survey Letters Kildare. Dublin. Four Masters Press.
Jackson, P. 1979-80 The holy wells of Co. Kildare. Journal of the Kildare Archaeological Society 16, 133-61.
Nearby in the register
- Habitation siteunder 1 mi
- Ceremonial enclosureunder 1 mi
- Enclosureunder 1 mi
- Enclosureunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.