Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ritual site - holy well
An Chathair Bhearnach, County Kerry, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- An Chathair Bhearnach
- County
- Kerry
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- St Finans Well
- Latest-edition OS map
- St Finans Well
- Coordinates
- 51.85135, -10.12903
- SMR number
- KE098-013----
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1790 "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
St Finan's Well/Tobar Fhionáin: This subrectangular stone-lined well is located on the lower SE slopes of Knag, overlooking Lough Currane to S. It is capped with two lintels, over which a domed stone structure was erected around 1960. In a niche near the top of the dome, above the well-opening, is a cross-incised slab which measures 0.56m x 0.24m x 0.07m thick. A pattern was formerly held here on St Finan’s day, the 16th of March (OSNB Drummod, 9).
The Pattern was described by Hayward (1987, 150) as follows; 'The pattern was one of three circuits and fifteen decades, and Patrick Carey told me that in his youth, hundreds of people would gather here, but that nowadays only a few older people make the circuits, and that on any Friday, Saturday or Sunday, against all ills or any sickness'.
See attached photographs of St Finan's Well, Co. Kerry, taken 1946 by Caoimhín Ó Danachair courtesy of and © National Folklore Collection, UCD. The Photographic Collection, F025.18.00056/057/058 accessible online at https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbeg/16788; https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbeg/24614; https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbeg/24615.
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. 1056. 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: 14 April 2022
References
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.
O'Sullivan, A. and Sheehan, J. 1996 The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of South Kerry. Cork University press.
Hayward, R. 1987 In the kingdom of Kerry. Dundalk. Dundalgan Press.
Nearby in the register
- Cross-slabunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - cashelunder 1 mi
- Souterrainunder 1 mi
- Rock artunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.