Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

Ó Danachair (1955, 207) recorded the following details about this holy well; 'Lady's Well on 1840 map. A small well in Ballylanders churchyard; the water from the well flows into a small overflow basin. Now embellished with statues of Our Lady and St Bernadette Soubirous. Still popular: rounds are often made there, especially in May and August. The water cures many ailments. A pattern is held on 15th August, the largest of its kind in the county, with parades, games and dances in addition to the devotions at the well. Formerly rags were hung on the bushes near the well, but this is no longer done. On the pattern day the well is decorated with flowers, &c, and small contributions of money towards this are made to the custodian of the well. In making it was customary to kneel and pray at the well and at three other "stations"; at one of these, in the church ruin, a cross was marked. Legends: A trout is seen in the well by those who are about to have their prayers answered. The water from the well cannot boil. The well was first found when an ailing woman dreamed of a cure there; she came and was cured'.
The following folklore was recorded from Ballylanders National School about Lady's Well; 'The graveyard in which the well is is a very old one but is still in use. Trees grow in the churchyard mostly whitethorn - and there is the ruins of an ancient monastery. People are buried within the ruins as there are many headstones there. A bush stands near the well and on that bush coloured pieces of rags were tied after making the rounds. After finishing the rounds to complete them a visit to the old monastery is made and five Our Fathers and five Hail Marys and five Glory's are said' (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0512, Page 141; accessible online at www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922053/4847934/4956043).
A second story about Lady's Well was collected from Anglesborough National School; 'The 15th of August is the Pattern Day of Ballylanders Co. Limk. People make the rounds at Our Ladys Well for 8 days before the 15th and many do so on the 15th itself. Its the great day in this part of East Limk. and people look forward to the Pattern for months before. hand. "Are you going the Pattern?" is the usual question in August. Tinkers thimble-rigers, card-sharpers and sweet-cars begin to arrive in the village a week before hand. One old fellow with a shooting gallery always takes up his place at the Church Gate and shouts out "Two shots a penny or five for two pence" (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0514, Page 123; accessible online at www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922062/4848898).

See attached photos taken in 1954 by Caoimhín Ó Danachair, courtesy of and © National Folklore Collection, UCD. The Photographic Collection, F025.21.00064 accessible online at www.duchas.ie/en/cbeg/16961; F025.21.00025 accessible online at www.duchas.ie/en/cbeg/24574 and F025.21.00023 accessible online at www.duchas.ie/en/cbeg/16947.

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