Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

Located on the E-facing slope of the Hill of Slane and just inside the N wall of the graveyard (ME019-060016-). John O’Donovan in the 1830s described Tobar Patrick as having stones to the ground level but the well ran dry in the summer. There was a stone that had the imprint of the saint’s knees (Herity 2001, 44). Cogan (1862, 1, 296) describes it as having a stone wall with steps leading down to it and stations were held there until the 1850s. The well is a D-shaped area (int. dims 1.5m E-W; 1.3m N-S) defined by the graveyard wall on the N side and a small wall (Wth 0.5m; H 0.3-0.5m) elsewhere. It is closed with loose stones. (French 2012, 11-12)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 17 November 2021

References

Cogan, Rev. A. 1862-70 In John F. Fowler, Joseph Dollard (eds), The diocese of Meath, ancient and modern, 3 vols. Dublin. Dollard Publishers.

Herity, M. (ed.) 2001 Ordnance Survey Letters: Meath. Dublin. Four Masters Press

French, N. 2012 Meath Holy Wells. Meath Heritage Centre