Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

The holy well at Ballintubbert may have given its name to the townland. Ballintubbert is the anglicised version of Baile an Tiobraid meaning the 'town of the well or spring'. In the 17th century Ballintubbert was also known as Fontstowne which is possibly derived from the presence of the spring well. Ballintubbert Church was located in the medieval parish of Fontstowne as recorded in the 17th century Down Survey. Not marked on the 1838 edition of the OS 6-inch map but depicted as St. Brigid's Well on the revised 1906 edition of the OS 25-inch map. In gently undulating countryside. Holy well located in SE quadrant of Ballintubbert graveyard (LA019-014002-) 29m SE of St. Bridget's Church which is possibly built on the site of a medieval church (LA019-014001-). In 1990 the Archaeological Survey of Ireland described the holy well as consisting of 'three courses of stones and the west and east with a lot of loose, smaller stone in the south. Entrance way (L c. 1.5m, Wth c. 1m, D c. 0.75m) with three steps at the north and is defined by a number of larger stones on either side' (SMR File 15/08/1990) Known locally as St Brigid's Well. A second spring well is located 14m to the SE as depicted on the 25-inch OS map. In recent times the area around the well became waterlogged and a small pond was formed obscuring the stone structure defining the well. Recently the area around the well has been cleared away and the structure around the well is now visible once more. The natural spring well is partially enclosed by a semi-circular stone wall which is open to N with access down to the well at N via three stone steps flanked by a low line of stones on either side of the steps. No evidence of any votive offerings in the vicinity of the well and no pattern is held at this well.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Laois' (Dublin Stationery Office, 1995) compiled by P. David Sweetman, Olive Alcock and Bernie Moran. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 24 June 2014

Compiled by : Caimin O'Brien