Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

St Michael's Well/Tobar Mhichíl: Situated close to the shore on the NW side of Ballinskelligs Bay, this stone-lined pool, 1m x 0.65m, is covered by a roughly built beehive-shaped structure that stands 2.3m high and is 2.8m in overall diameter. It features a lintelled entrance at SE, and a paved pathway runs around its circumference.
A major pattern, comprising religious devotions at the well followed by games and dancing, used to be held here on the 29th of September. Smith recorded that during the mid-eighteenth century a 'great concourse of people' visited the well on this date, some bringing 'their sick, blind and lame friends, in order, as they imagine, to be healed by this miraculous water' (1756, 103). Delap noted that a turas or pilgrimage to St Buonia's (KE088-027004-) and St Finan's Well (KE096-007----), both in The Glen, and over Kilkeaveragh mountain to Coomanaspig holy well (KE087-052001-), formed part of this pattern in the early twentieth century (1911, 411). Crawford noted the custom of placing token offerings, such as medals, crosses, beads, buttons, scapulars, nails and threads from shawl fringes, in the interstices of the beehive structure on pattern days (1915, 155). The pattern day is still observed locally.

See attached photographs of St Michael's Well, Co. Kerry, taken 1946 by Caoimhín Ó Danachair courtesy of and © National Folklore Collection, UCD. The Photographic Collection, F025.18.00055 accessible online at https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbeg/16787 and F025.18.00366 taken 1930 by Séamus Ó Duilearga accessible online at https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbeg/16908 .

See attached colour photographs courtesy of Amanda Clarke.

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. 1068. 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: 25 April 2022

References

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

Crawford, H. S. 1915 Miscellanea: Holy wells near Ballinskelligs, Co. Kerry. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, 45, 155.

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

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