Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a gentle W-facing slope, this well flows W into Drish River. The precise location is difficult to ascertain as a pump-house, water tank and well (Wth 1.25m) with concrete lining have been constructed at this location. Presumably the well is the site of the holy well but there is nothing to indicate a religious tradition associated with this site. The holy well was the focus of a pattern on the feast of the Assumption on 15th August, the men visiting the well in the morning and the women in the evening. A stone, formerly placed at the right-hand side of the gate entering Lady's Well from the Mill Road, was usually struck three times in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Coins were thrown into the well and rags were hung on a nearby bush (O'Neill 1976, 62). Visiting the well grew less common after 1848 when a company of soldiers were stationed in the locality causing clashes between the military and the pilgrims visiting the well (ibid).

The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary. Vol. 1 - North Tipperary' compiled by Jean Farrelly and Caimin O'Brien (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload/revision: 22 September 2008