Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ritual site - holy well
Gorteen (decies Without Drum By.), County Waterford, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Gorteen (decies Without Drum By.)
- County
- Waterford
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- St. Gehans Well
- Latest-edition OS map
- Tobaryeahine
- Coordinates
- 52.11552, -7.59281
- SMR number
- WA031-014----
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1790 "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
Situated at the foot of a S-facing slope. It is known as 'St Gehan's Well', but it may have been originally called 'Tobar Dé hAoine' or 'Friday's Well' (OS Name Books). This is a circular well (diam. 1.3m) defined by drystone walling and covered by a lintel. Some stones, the last remnants of a penitential cairn, have been placed on the lintel and there is an iron ringed-cross nearby. It is known locally that there was a rag-tree at one time, but this has been removed without trace. The well is at the W edge of a subcircular pond (dims. c. 15m N-S; c. 10m E-W). The pattern died out in 1919 but was resumed c. 1980, and is held on or around July 19th. The water is reputed to cure eye ailments.
The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Waterford' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1999). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.
Compiled by: Michael Moore. Date of upload: 25th August, 2011.
Nearby in the register
- Penitential stationunder 1 mi
- Ritual site - holy tree/bushunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - rathunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - unclassifiedunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.