Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

Located on flat pasture land with bog to the N and St. Broghan's church (OF027-008----) nearby. Over the well there is a modern stone built cover with a statue of St. Broghan standing inside this house like structure. There are several hawthorn bushes beside the well all of which is enclosed by an irregular shape concrete wall. Associated with St. Broghan whose feast day is the 4th of December (Comerford 1883, 124-6).
In 1934 the National Schools Survey of Holy Wells recorded that this pattern ‘is one of the most ancient in Ireland having been in existence over nine hundred years. It was suppressed about eighty years ago. A very beautiful and very ancient litany of the B.V.M. composed by Saint Brochan is recited at the well. The pattern was resuscitated by the Revd. J. Breen C.C. Clonbulloge in 1926’ (NFC 468, 141). In 1934 it was recorded in a local newspaper that ‘over 1,500 people attended the annual Pattern of St. Brochan, Clonsast, Offaly on Sunday’ (ibid.). According to this report the pattern ‘attracts large numbers annually from all the surrounding counties. The Rosary having been recited at the holy well, and the ancient Litany of the Blessed Virgin, composed by St. Brochan, an aeridheacht, followed by football and camogie matches and a boxing exhibition by the Portarlington Boxing Club was held. The Wolf Tone pipe and drum band, Carbury, was present’ (ibid.). The well was described in 1934 as ‘there is a protecting concrete wall around the well and the wall is surmounted by barbed wire. It was erected about 1925 by James Dunne, Clonsast, a hood was erected over the well in 1927 by Revd. James Breen C. C. Clonbulloge. Last Sunday in June pattern is held there; people visit the well at other times also’ (NFC 468, 147). People used the water from the well for bodily ailments and cures such as stammering and leave stones, pennies, clothes, pins and pebbles at the well. Offerings were placed on a specially constructed ledge within the well near the top. Bits of beads, bits of brooches, bits of ribbons and pins are placed by some on the white thorn. They are affixed last Sunday in June (ibid., 150).

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

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