Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

Located 22.7m N of St. Patrick's Church. Associated with St. Patrick who is reputed to have passed the well on his journey from Cashel to Lismore (Morrissey 1909, 265). It is mentioned in the tenth century life of St. Declan of Ardmore (ibid.). According to tradition the well was renowned for 'curing sore lips, sore eyes, scrofula, and several other chronic diseases, either by drinking or washing in the stream that issues from it' (ibid.) the OS Letters related that it was especially known for its cure of headaches (O'Flanagan 1930, 1, 44). Natural spring well (L 4.5m; Wth 2.65m; D of water 0.17-02m) enclosed by a tear-shaped surround with a flagged path around it and a stone wall (H 0.65m; T 0.5m). The wall is capped by stones set on edge (H c. 0.2-0.25m). Renovation work was carried out in the 50s and 60s (Shee and Watson 1975, 53). The well is very clear and is channelised into a large pond which runs off to form a river. The water runs out through two narrow stone-cut channels, which may be the reused flumes (TS083-004016-) of an early mill (Manning 2007, 12-15). There is a small marble plaque depicting St Patrick with the inscription: "Glory to God Peace to His People Donated in 1969 by the Casey Family Casey's Stores Clonmel Please pray for donars". The exit is in the SE and there is a little gate decorated with an iron cross and painted green and white.

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of upload: 26 August 2011

References

Morrissey, T.J. 1909 St. Patrick's Well, Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 39, 265-6.

Manning, C. 2007 Could well be a mill. Archaeology Ireland 21 (1), 12-15.

Shee, E. and Watson, S. J. 1975 Clonmel: an architectural guide. Dublin. An Taisce.

O'Flanagan, Rev. M. (Compiler) 1930 Letters containing information relative to the antiquities of the county of Tipperary collected during the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1840. Bray.