Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ritual site - holy well
Randalstown, County Meath, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Randalstown
- County
- Meath
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- St. Annes Well
- Latest-edition OS map
- St. Annes Well
- Coordinates
- 53.68576, -6.72827
- SMR number
- ME025-045----
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 a fairly level landscape, with the small NNE-SSW Yellow River c. 40m to the W. A well is marked on the 1836 and eds of the OS 6-inch map and described in gothic lettering as St. Anne’s Well on both. Kelly (1973, 8, 10) suggests that the well could be a pre-Christian dedication to Anu, the mother of the Irish gods, which was altered to Anne in Christian times. The well is an oval hollow (dims 1.7m x 1.3m) lined with large stones. A rag tree with some old cloths attached to it was present at the well in 1973, while a trench excavated near the well produced a blue glass bead (ibid.).
Compiled by: Michael Moore
Date of upload: 30 March 2023
References
Kelly. E. P. 1973 A future for our past. Navan, Tara Mines Ltd.
Nearby in the register
- Graveyardunder 1 mi
- Enclosureunder 1 mi
- Churchunder 1 mi
- Burial Vaultunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.