Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a fairly level landscape at the bottom of a NE-facing slope. St John’s Well was certainly in use since the seventeenth century and pilgrimages to it on St John’s Eve (23rd June) were forbidden by the Irish Parliament in 1708. Tradition held that when John the Baptist struck his staff into the ground in Palestine the point emerged with waters of the River Jordan at this well. In 1761 the Roman Catholic bishops meeting at Drogheda forbade the pilgrimage to St John’s Well because of the scandalous excesses of the accompanying fair. The fair was moved to Culmullin, c. 3 km to the S, in 1807 but devotions at the well continued undiminished. (French 2012, 56-9)
Cogan (1862-70, vol. 2, 351-2) describes the old well at the height of its popularity as: '… in no way remarkable. It is covered by an arch, a front wall conceals it from view, a stone conductor lets out the water, and under this stream those who visit for the benefit of health are for a moment placed. Under the water-spout is a stone flag, four feet in length by one foot six inches in breath; there are seats each side, and on the front wall two images, now all but defaced, which probably represented St Mary and St. John.‘

Devotions were also held on the feast of SS Peter and Paul on the 29th June, and cures were reported from its water. During the 1930s crutches were left at the well. In 1923 the Silesian Fathers founded an agricultural Collage at Warrenstown House and put railings around the well when the foundations of huts were found. In 1944 the well assumed its final form with a wall retaining the ground behind and a spout producing the water between the two stone heads. In 2018 a new owner removed the wall and the well is now a shore with the two heads and the limestone name plate from the 1940s at ground level. (French 2012, 56-9)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 21 August 2019

References

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

Cogan, Rev. A. 1862-70 Ecclesiastical history of the diocese of Meath: ancient and modern. (3 vols) Dublin: John Fowler, Joseph Dollard