Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ritual site - holy well
Márthain, County Kerry, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Márthain
- County
- Kerry
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Toberone
- Latest-edition OS map
- Toberone
- Coordinates
- 52.15106, -10.41201
- SMR number
- KE042-129----
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 2 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1753 "Mappa geographica Regni Hiberniae" (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
Toberone/Tobar Eoin: A spring well located on the E side of the roadway which leads from Ballyferriter to Marhin. It is now contained within a drystone-built, lintelled niche at the base of the road boundary wall. Ó Danachair (1960, 78) recorded a tradition that a turas was formerly held here on the 24th of June. Both An Seabhac (1939, 107) and Ó Danachair mention another holy well called Tobar na Rátha, in the townland. However, O'Sullivan (1931, 520) noted that both names applied to the one well, Tobar Eoin being an earlier name for Tobar na Rátha. This appears to be confirmed by the fact that Toberone is the name marked on the OS maps but the site is known locally as Tobar na Rátha.
See attached colour photographs courtesy of Amanda Clarke.
The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 957. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.
Date of upload: 7 August 2013
References
Cuppage, J. 1986 Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne.
O'Sullivan, T.F. 1931 Romantic hidden Kerry. Tralee. The Kerryman.
Ó Danachair, C. 1960 The Holy Wells of Corkaguiney, Co. Kerry. The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, 67-78.
Seabhac, An. 1939 Triocha-Céad Chorca Dhuibhne. Dublin.
Nearby in the register
- Hut siteunder 1 mi
- Standing stoneunder 1 mi
- Souterrainunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - rathunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.