Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ritual site - holy well
Ballinlough, County Limerick, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Ballinlough
- County
- Limerick
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- St Bridgets Well
- Latest-edition OS map
- St Bridgets Well (1927)
- Coordinates
- 52.51844, -8.41879
- SMR number
- LI032-111----
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
Ó Danachair (1955, 215-6) recorded the following details about this holy well; 'St Bridget's Well' local name. This well was first noted by O'Kelly, North Munster Antiquarian Journal, 1944, 17. "Dedicated to St Bridget. Devotion to it has ceased but was revived in 1940 on St Bridget's Day. Original ritual is not known. The well is badly kept and is much damaged by cattle". Not on maps. Legend: St Brighid, refused a drink, struck the ground and the well sprang up'.
The following folklore was recorded from Hospital National School about St. Bridget’s Well; 'St. Brigids Well is situated to the west of the village of Kilteely. It removed because a child was washed in it. It is famous for curing styes' (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0514, Page 360; accessible online at www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922064/4849135/5011166?ChapterID=4922064) .
See attached photos taken in 1954 by Caoimhín Ó Danachair, courtesy of and © National Folklore Collection, UCD. The Photographic Collection, F025.21.00422 accessible online at www.duchas.ie/en/cbeg/17071 and F025.21.00423 accessible online at www.duchas.ie/ga/cbeg/24509.
Compiled and revised by: Caimin O'Brien
Date of revised upload: 1 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
Nearby in the register
- Enclosureunder 1 mi
- Moated siteunder 1 mi
- Barrow - ring-barrowunder 1 mi
- Enclosureunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.