Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

Tobernacrusha/Tobar na Croise: This well and cross-inscribed slab are located directly beside the junction of the townlands of Ballinclare, Farrannacarriga and Gurteen. The stone stands over the site of the well which is now dry. It measures 0.88m high x 0.31m wide and its E face bears a plain Latin cross in relief. The turas formerly associated with the site was held on the 27th of August (An Seabhac 1939, 183).
Holy well described by Ó Danachair (1960, 71) as follows; ' "Tobar na Croise", from a stone at the well which has a cross carved upon it. The turas or pilgrimage is still carried out, but not by as many as formerly, on Saint John's Day (Midsummer). The pilgrim recites a rosary on the way to the well. He then makes nine circuits of the well, saying a pater and ave during each circuit, after which he goes to a place on the edge of the cliff, about 600 yards to the south west of the well, and says some prayers there. This place is called Bun an Turais'.
The ITA survey recorded in 1942 that 'a plain Latin cross in relief is inscribed on the stone immediately to the N of the well. The Eastern stone holds many small crosses carved by pilgrims at the time when pilgrimages were made to this place, once a penitential station. The well measures 6 ft. by 3 ft. and is protected with flagstones' (SMR File).

See attached photograph courtesy of and © National Folklore Collection, UCD. The Photographic Collection, F025.18.00047 accessible online at https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbeg/16781.

See attached colour photograph courtesy of Amanda Clarke.

The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 913. 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: 13 April 2022

References

Cuppage, J. 1986 Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne.

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).

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.