Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on flat low-lying land with river Brosna 160m to the S and Tisaran Church (OF022-004---) 690m to SW. Holy well associated with Sárán who founded a monastery known as Teach Sáráin [Tisaran/House of Saran] in the seventh century (Ó Riain 2011, 547-8; ITA Survey 1942). In 1942 it was recorded that the feastday of St Saran was not remembered locally, although there was a pattern held at Tisaran until the early years of the last century (ibid.).
The feastday of Sárán fell on the 20th of January (Ó Riain 2011, 547-8). Present remains consist of an uncovered circular dry stone well (diam 1m; D 1m) now disused and dried up with no evidence of any votive offerings associated with the well. (O' Flanagan 1933, vol. 1, 58)

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 and revised by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of revised upload: 28 February 2019

References

Irish Tourist Association. Surveys undertaken in the 1940s for the Irish Tourist Association (now Fáilte Ireland) relating to ‘Natural features, antiquities, historic associations etc.' Extracts from these surveys were copied into the Topographical files of the Office of Public Works and these have been incorporated into the Sites and Monuments Record files (National Monuments Service).

Ó Riain, P. 2011 A dictionary of Irish Saints. Dublin. Four Courts Press.

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.