Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

Marked on the 1841-42 and 1914-15 OS maps as 'Toberfell' (Tobar Feille - well of the treachery).
Situation and Description: This is a small circular well of pure chalybeat water. According to Smith (1756, 184) Fell's Well was named after the man who discovered it. He 'made a trial of its virtues in scorbutic cases, like German spa at the fountain head'.
According to the ITA Survey of 1943 this well was known locally as 'Tobarín Donn' and that the local tradition to then curative powers of this well was very strong at that time (SMR File).

Rahavanaig School collected the following tradition about this well; 'There was another holy well in Tullamore. There was a battle on Knockanore long ago after the soldiers washed their wounds in the water of Tobar Fel and were immediately cured. The people began to use the water of Tobar Fel for household use and the well and statues disappeared' (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0400, Page 108; https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4666572/4663099; https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4666572/4663100).

See attached colour photographs courtesy of Amanda Clarke.

The above description is derived from C. Toal, ‘North Kerry Archaeological Survey’. Dingle. Brandon in association with FAS Training and Employment Authority (1995), no. 920. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Revised by: Caimin O’Brien

Date of revised upload: 17 May 2022

References

Irish Tourist Association. Surveys undertaken in the 1940s for the Irish Tourist Association (now Fáilte Ireland) relating to ‘Natural features, antiquities, historic associations etc.' Extracts from these surveys were copied into the Topographical files of the Office of Public Works and these have been incorporated into the Sites and Monuments Record files (National Monuments Service).

Toal, C. 1995 North Kerry Archaeological Survey. Dingle. Brandon in association with FAS Training and Employment Authority.

Smith, C. 1756 (Reprint 1969) The ancient and present state of the county of Kerry. Cork. The Mercier Press.