Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

Ó Danachair (1955, 209) recorded the following details about this holy well; 'Tobar Cinn Mhóir on 1928 edition OSNB. "Tobercanoroe, reputedly a holy well" WCL, 470. See Keating's History of Ireland, Irish Texts Society, viii, 318'. This well was also called 'Tobar Canvore' and was described by Dowd (1896, 36-7) as following; 'The well remains still under the ancient name of Tobar Ceann Moir, that is Well of the Great Head or Spring, and a river that issues from it is called Sruth Ceann Moir or the stream of Great Head. Dr. Joyce gives a version of the latter portion of the story which accounts for the name of the well in another manner. According to his reading, the great Druid called for his disciple, Canvore, and ordered him to bring his magic spear, which be cast high up in the air, directing his disciple to watch the spot where it fell and to dig there. Canvore did so and a copious stream of water gushed from the ground. Canvore on asking for his reward was told that his name would ever be connected with the spot'. He described this well as ‘it lies on the roadside, in the townland of Glenbrohane, near the boundary of Emly Grennan, three miles to the south of Knocklong, and it springs from a chasm, evidently artificial, dug in the side of Slieve Reagh (where the Munster army was posted) forming a very fine stream. The stream flows into the Morning Star after a short northerly course’.

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 03 July 2019

References

OSNB - Ordnance Survey Name Books. Pro-forma books arranged by Civil Parish for recording townland and other name-forms and compiled in the course of the OS 6-inch survey 1824-1841. The name books also include minor names and incidental references to antiquities. National Archives of Ireland.

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

Dowd, J. 1896 Round about the County of Limerick. Limerick. G. McKern & Sons.