Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ritual site - holy well
Minister'S-Land, County Limerick, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Minister'S-Land
- County
- Limerick
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- St. Moluas Well
- Latest-edition OS map
- St. Moluas Well (Covered)
- Coordinates
- 52.49402, -9.05889
- SMR number
- LI028-103004-
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
Situated on wet marshy land, 135m S of the main street running through the village of Ardagh (LI028-0103----). Medieval church ruins (LI028-103002-) and graveyard (LI028-103003-) 65m to NNE. Dedicated to St.Molua, its site is marked south of the graveyard (Bradley 1989, vol. 1, 50).
The well and its pattern was described in 1906 as following: 'In times gone by the well was shaded by an aged ash tree measuring 4 feet 6 inches in girth at the base, which has now disappeared. It is still frequented by the parishioners who pay rounds there on the 3rd of August, the eve of the saint's feast. About 50 years ago the 4th of August was kept as a parish holiday in honour of St. Molua, but the custom has fallen into disuse' (Begley 1906, 106).
The following folklore was recorded from Killaghteen National School about St. Molua’s Well; 'In the parish of Ardagh there is a holy well dedicated to St Molua. There is a legend told about this well that one day as St Patrick was was passing through a Ardagh he called at a house for a drink of water. The people refused him and so he cursed a well there. His curse was that the people who would drink its water would die. He got sorry for this course and he raised it that the birds that would drink its water would die' (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0489, Page 084; accessible online at www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4921965/4914104/4942469).
See attached photos taken in 1954 by Caoimhín Ó Danachair, courtesy of and © National Folklore Collection, UCD. The Photographic Collection, F025.21.00173 accessible online at www.duchas.ie/en/cbeg/16990 and F025.21.00174 accessible online at www.duchas.ie/en/cbeg/31140.
See attached colour photographs courtesy of Amanda Clarke
Compiled and revised by: Caimin O'Brien
Date of revised upload: 1 October 2020
References
Bradley, J., Halpin, A., and King, H.A. 1989 Urban archaeological survey - county Limerick (3 vols.). Unpublished report commissioned by the Office of Public Works, Dublin.
Begley, J. 1906 The Diocese of Limerick ancient and medieval. Dublin.
Nearby in the register
- Graveyardunder 1 mi
- Churchunder 1 mi
- Historic townunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - rathunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.