Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

Large subcircular structure (c. 3m diam.) on hillside with small stream flowing from it located to the N of Cannakill School at the foothills of Croghan Hill. Built with drystone walling. Obscured by dense growth of briars and is not used. Described by Reynolds (SMR 1977) as an abandoned well (diam. 3m) with remains of collapsed dry stone walling which is partially covered by a dense growth of briars. In 1934 the National Schools Survey of Holy Wells recorded that there ‘was an ash tree growing beside the well. The tree was very old and only a portion of the trunk remains standing now. Out of the trunk branches have grown and are making good progress. There is no pattern day or days of pilgrimage connected with this well. In years gone by people used visit this well to get a drink of the water and take some away. They used also rub the infected part with the water. This well was visited particularly for cure for teethaches. I saw the bark of this tree thick with pins. It would appear that when a person visited the well he or she put a pin into the tree or put in a number of pins’ (NFC 468, 138). (O' Flanagan 1933, vol. 1, 40; Comerford 1883, 321)

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload/revision: 18 December 2013

References

O'Flanagan, Rev. M. (Compiler) 1933 Letters containing information relative to the antiquities of the King's County collected during the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1839. Bray.

Comerford, Rev. M. 1883-6 Collections relating to the dioceses of Kildare and Leighlin, 3 vols. James Duffy and Sons. Dublin.