Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ritual site - holy tree/bush
Behaghane, County Kerry, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Behaghane
- County
- Kerry
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Old Tree
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 51.78251, -10.06028
- SMR number
- KE106-032004-
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
Toberavilla/Tobar an Bhile (KE106-032003-) is spring well is located c. 30m WNW of Kilcrohane Medieval church and graveyard (KE106-032001-).
An ash tree, marked 'Old Tree' on the first edition of the OS map, formerly stood beside the well and was locally reputed to mark the grave of St Crohane.
The well and sacred tree or bile formed the principal assembly point of the three-day pattern formerly held in this parish in honour of St Crohane (OSL; Ó Cíobháin 1984a, 23-4). This is considered by MacNeill to have been originally a Lughnasa pilgrimage-assembly (1962, 648-50), and commenced on July 29th, Oíche Chrócháin. It included a turas or pilgrimage from Kilcrohane up to Windy Gap, close to the summit of Eagles Hill, where another holy well, Tobar na Bearnan (KE098-086----), is located. En route rounds were also made at Tobercrohane well (KE106-029002-). The pattern has been in decline from the mid-nineteenth century, and since the 1940s Toberavilla has rarely been visited.
See attached photograph of Toberavilla and Turas Chrócháin, Co. Kerry, taken 1946 by Caoimhín Ó Danachair courtesy of and © National Folklore Collection, UCD. The Photographic Collection, F025.18.00005 accessible online at https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbeg/24632.
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. 1054. 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: 12 April 2022
References
OSL - Ordnance Survey Letters. Letters written by members of the Ordnance Survey's 'Topographical Department' (T. O'Conor, A. O'Curry, E. Curry, J. O'Donovan and P. O'Keeffe) sent to headquarters from the field (1834-41). MSS in Royal Irish Academy.
MacNeill, M. 1962 The festival of Lughnasa. London. Oxford University Press.
O'Sullivan, A. and Sheehan, J. 1996 The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of South Kerry. Cork University press.
Nearby in the register
- Ritual site - holy wellunder 1 mi
- Cross-slabunder 1 mi
- Mass-rockunder 1 mi
- Cross-inscribed stoneunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.