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Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland

Ritual site - holy well

Stonehall, County Limerick, Ireland

Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915) covering the location of Ritual site - holy well, Stonehall, County Limerick, with a pin at the register's coordinates
Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915), covering this location. Courtesy of the National Library of Scotland. The pin is ours, placed from the register's coordinates.

The record

Townland
Stonehall
County
Limerick
Country
Ireland
First-edition OS map
St. Bridgets Well
Latest-edition OS map
St. Bridgets Well (1923)
Coordinates
52.60304, -8.86016
SMR number
LI011-077----

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

4 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1790 map "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).

Historical maps covering this location

  • 1790 · Composite: Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1869 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1891 · Ireland 16 (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1904 · Sheet 13. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)

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This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗

The National Monuments Service's description

In scrub-covered area, at base of W-facing slope into valley. Ovoid area (7m N-S; 9m E-W), containing well at centre, enclosed by wall (H 1.25m) with gateway on W side. Well opening (0.56m N-S; 1m E-W) covered by W-facing stone arch (H 0.67m; Wth 0.58m) with stone-built gabled statue niche overhead containing statue of St. Bridget. To S steps lead upslope via a gravel pathway back and around well to N. Modern pipe drains well to feed cattle trough c. 4m to S. Bushes, with rags attached, to W. According to Ó Danachair (1955, 212) rounds made here often, especially on 1st Feb.; water said to cure 'sore eyes and other ailments' (ibid.).

See attached photo taken in 1954 by Caoimhín Ó Danachair, courtesy of and © National Folklore Collection, UCD. The Photographic Collection, F025.21.00208 accessible online at www.duchas.ie/en/cbeg/17001.

See attached colour photographs courtesy of Amanda Clarke

Compiled by: Denis Power

Revised by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of revised upload: 30 September 2020

References

Ó Danachair, C. 1955 The Holy Wells of County Limerick Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 85, 193-217

Nearby in the register

Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.

Sites and Monuments Record data: National Monuments Service, Government of Ireland, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Record text is reproduced unchanged. National Monuments Service, Government of Ireland · CC BY 4.0
All Ritual site - holy well in Limerick All County Limerick records All Ireland Heritage registers Historical markers (US)National Register of Historic Places (US)
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