Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

Toberreendoney/Tobar Rí an Domhnaigh: This site is alternatively known as St Darerca’s well after the patroness of the parish (Delap 1911, 403). It is located a short distance W of Laharan holy well (KE079-080----), on the lower S slopes of Coombe Hill, Valencia Island, and is housed within a relatively modern construction of stone and mortar. Rounds were formerly made here on the 22nd of March (OSNB Valencia, 40).
The following folklore about this holy well was collected between 1934-8 from Cahersiveen School; 'Tobereendoney or the well of Sunday’s King is also called St Darerca’s Well and is situated in Ballymanagh. It is covered with a rudely-built pent-house of rough stones and surrounded by many offerings and tokens of “rounds” performed there, St Darerca is patroness of the island and the Chapletown Church is dedicated to her. She was a sister of St. Patrick and was married to Restitutus. The Lombard Restitutus and his six brothers are supposed to have come to. Ireland with St. Patrick about 432 A.D.' (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0476, Page 299; https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4742132/4738884/4813153).
Folklore collected in 1937 from Currach Beag (Coarha Beg) School recorded the following tradition; 'Ballymanagh or Monkstown is situated on the eastern side of the island. This townland is very rich. This is how it got its name. "St. Patrick" had a niece named Dairerca. He sent her to this Island because he thought that the pagans would do her a disservice. She established a monastery there in this domain. It had a lot of monks in it and from then on it was called "Baile Mánach". There is now a blessed well where the monastery once stood' (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0479, Page 011;https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4742141/4740136/4815525?ChapterID=4742141).
In 1938 the following folklore was collected from Baile and Ridire or Knightstown School; 'St. Dererca's well is also called "Tubbereendoney" or "Tobar Rí an Domhnaig". St. Derercas was a sister to St. Patrick. She came with a number of nuns to Valentia and they had a convent in Ballymanagh. The well in which the nuns used get the water is called "St Dererca's well". Formerly a "pattern" used to held at this well; but at that time intoxicating drinks were very cheap and several people were drunk at the pattern. The priests then ordered the pattern to be discontinued' (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0479, Pages 066-7; https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4742142/4740193).

See attached photograph of holy well taken from Mitchell 1989, 88; and B/W photograph taken 1955 ‘Fáilte Ireland Collection, courtesy of Dublin City Library and Archive’ (www.dublincitylibraries.ie).

The above description is derived from A. O'Sullivan and J. Sheehan (compilers), 'The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of South Kerry'. Cork University Press (1996), no. 1052. 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: 30 March 2022

References

Delap, M.J. 1911 Some holy wells in Valencia and Portmagee. Kerry Archaeological Magazine 1, 403-14.

O'Sullivan, A. and Sheehan, J. 1996 The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of South Kerry. Cork University press.

Mitchell, G.F. 1989 Man and the environment in Valentia Island. Dublin. Royal Irish Academy.

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.