Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

No surface trace visible of a holy well dedicated to St. Colmán. This monastery appears to have been named after St. Colman the black or ‘Black Colman’ which formed part of the monastic estate of Monaincha (TN018-001001-), Co. Tipperary. In 1503 there is a reference to 'sancti Colimani Nigri' which translates as 'Saint Colman the dark or black' (Gleeson and Costello 1943, 90). Holy well located 55m SSW of two churches (OF038-007001-; OF038-007003-) standing inside a graveyard (OF038-007004-). Depicted as 'Site of St. Colman's Well' on the 1838 ed. OS 6-inch map. The Ordnance Survey Letters of 1838 recorded that 'St. Colman's Day is not now celebrated here; there was a well called after him which lay close to the old Roman Catholic Chapel of Kilcolman and is now shut up' (O'Flanagan 1933, vol. 2, 31). The well was located on low lying flat reclaimed wet land with bullaun stone (OF038-00705-) 40m to NNW. The precise location of this monument is uncertain as its location is not clearly identified on the 1838 ed. OS 6-inch map. On this map the well appears to have been located at the junction of two field boundaries located to the S of the church and graveyard. The well may have been located at the E end of a drainage channel running E-W in the field 60m to the S of the church and graveyard. The current location of the well as shown on the OS 6-inch map appears to be marked in the wrong position.

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 revision: 16 September 2014

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.