Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

Holy well described by Ó Danachair (1958, 162) as "Tobar Lochneáin" - local. A very very strong spring in a little pool in an open field. Formerly much visited, but not during the last fifty or sixty years. "This is a blessed well where the inhabitants perform or give rounds particularly on all Good Fridays in commemoration of Our Saviour's crucifixion" OSNB, iv, 29. Legends: A blind man who lived far away made his way to the well and was cured by the water. A certain Father Loughnane was cured there; he blessed the well and often visited it. A priest's servant took water for cooking; when the water would not boil a trout was found in it and water and trout were returned to the well'.

Toberloughlaun described in 1986 by the Castleisland Archaeological Survey as follows; 'The well no longer exists. A long depression full of water is visible, it contains a mound of earth which supports bramble growth. A drain runs from it on the north—west. According to Mr. McCarthy up to fifty years ago [c. 1930], patterns and rounds were carried out here. The water from the well was said to cure eye ailments' (SMR File).

Folklore collected from Currans School recorded the following tradition; 'There is a holy well at Kilfelem in the entire of a field once owned by the Sheehans now owned by the Mc. Carthys. The priests used to stay at Sheehans. The cook once got water from the holy well. She did not know that it was a holy well. She put the water in the kettle on the fire to boil. She got coal and turf and made a big fire but it was of no use it would not boil. At last she told the priest. He told her to bring it back to the well. She did so but did not believe it was a holy well' (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0445, Page 100; https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4706347/4704792).
Folklore collected by Neilus Daly of Coolnacalliagh recorded the following tradition about this well; 'There is only one well in the Parish which was called "holy" and that is situated in Mr James McCarthy's field in Clydane Farranfore Co. Kerry. The field is called the well-field. People did not visit this well for a number of years back. A man affected with sore eyes lived in Castleisland one time and on hearing of this well came to it and bathed his eyes in the waters and was cured.
About 80 years ago a Stature was being held in the owner's house. The maid was sent to the well the evening before for water. She brought it and was putting some of it into the kettle the next morning when a tout leaped out of it. They told it to the priest and he afterwards blessed the well. The well is now closed up but there is a little stream of water running from it and this is used for household purposes and cattle drink it. There is a bush near the well. There is no use made of its water for cures since and people do not visit it any more' (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0445, Pages 244-5; https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4706348/4704881).

Holy well described by O'Hare (2000, 63) as; 'A depression containing water is visible at the site, with a drain leading from it on the north-west. According to the landowner, patterns and rounds were associated with the well up until c. fifty years ago, while the water is said to have cured eye ailments. According to Mr. Michael Culloty, the well is believed to have been blessed by a holy man named Feidhlim, whose church was located nearby'.

Revised by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of revised upload: 14 April 2022

References

O'Hare, P. 2000 Holy wells and other sites of pilgrimage within a portion of East Kerry. Journal of the Kerry Archaeological and Historical Society 29, 55-98.

Ó Danachair, C. 1958 The Holy Wells of North County Kerry. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 88, 153-63.

OSNB - Ordnance Survey Name Books. Pro-forma books arranged by Civil Parish for recording townland and other name-forms and compiled in the course of the OS 6-inch survey 1824-1841. The name books also include minor names and incidental references to antiquities. National Archives of Ireland.