Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ritual site - holy well
Kildalkey, County Meath, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Kildalkey
- County
- Meath
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 53.57644, -6.90518
- SMR number
- ME029-020002-
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
Located in a hollow in a fairly level landscape. John O’Donovan writing in the 1830s describes Tobar Damhnata as almost dried up (Herity 2001, 67), but the dedication was compounded with Dympna of Gheel in Belgium, the patron saint of the mentally ill whose feastday is on May 15th. The well is depicted but not named on the 1836 edition of the OS 6-inch map, and it is not represented on later maps. The well was restored by a local group in 2000 (French 2012, 69-71). It is now a rectangular stone-lined well (int. dims 0.85m E-W; 0.7m N-S; D 0.5m) approached by three steps from the W. It is within a cobbled enclosure (int. diam. 3.2m) with some offering, which is defined by a masonry wall (Wth 0.4m; H 1.15m).
Compiled by: Michael Moore
Date of upload: 28 February 2019
References
Herity, M. (ed.) 2001 Ordnance Survey Letters: Meath. Dublin. Four Masters Press
French, N. 2012 Meath Holy Wells. Meath Heritage Centre
Nearby in the register
- Graveyardunder 1 mi
- Churchunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - rathunder 1 mi
- Linear earthwork1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.