Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture, near base of E-facing slope. In area of outcropping limestone. Well has been obscured by a modern concrete pump-house (H 2m; 3.6m N-S; 2.1m E-W). Directly adjacent to E wall of pump-house there is a roughly ovoid shaped area (2m N-S; 1.45m E-W) surrounded by large boulders. This area, containing water (D 0.3m), appears to act as a reservoir for the pump-house to which it is connected via a pipe. Stream adjoins immediately to E. Ó Danachair (1955, 214) described it as a 'clear strong spring issuing from cracks in the limestone'; it has been abandoned since early 19th century (ibid.).
The following folklore was recorded from Nutgrove National School about St. Bridget's Well; 'There is a holy well in Tubrid about a quarter of a mile South of Nutgrove school, and it is called after St. Bridget, and it is said that a woman washed clothes in the well, and it removed about forty yards. one can see where the well was formarly. There is a big flag there, and a drain running from under the flag down to where the well is situated now. There is also a grave yard at the back of the well, where children were buried long ago, who died of a plague. There are several marks and stones to be seen still there. The grave yard (LI019-279----) is of a circular shape, and is higher than the rest of the field. There is a big flag between it and the original well, and one could hardly standing on it, because it is always slippery' (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0482, Pages 351-2; accessible online at www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4921942/5053611).

See attached photos taken in 1954 by Caoimhín Ó Danachair, courtesy of and © National Folklore Collection, UCD. The Photographic Collection, F025.21.00430 accessible online at www.duchas.ie/en/cbeg/31022; F025.21.00429 accessible online at www.duchas.ie/en/cbeg/31021 and F025.21.00428 accessible online at www.duchas.ie/en/cbeg/17073.

Compiled by: Denis Power

Revised by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of revised upload: 2 October 2020

References

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