Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ritual site - holy well
Noughaval, County Westmeath, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Noughaval
- County
- Westmeath
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 53.52500, -7.78141
- SMR number
- WM016-012002-
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
Natural spring well depicted on OS 25-inch map in area immediately NW of Noughaval graveyard (WM016-012001-) which may be the remains of a holy well dedicated to St Finnian. The existence of this holy well located 'just outside Noughaval cemetery' is recorded in the Schools' Collection manuscript compiled by the Irish Folklore Commission for this area (SMR File).
In 1937-8 the following folklore about Noughaval holy well was recorded from Tang National School; 'Holy wells were visited by a great number of people to obtain relief from their ailments. Whatever their ailments were they could obtain relief from them at holy wells. There was another at Noughaval a half mile east of Tang School in Mr. Stanley's field. The person afflicted with any disease left a pin or a button or any such article by the well side. When they left the button behind by the well this was supposed to leave their disease behind by the well side. People seeking to be cured at the holy wells did what was known as stations' (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0746, Page 544-5; www.duchas.ie).
Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien
Date of upload: 1 October 2014
Nearby in the register
- Churchunder 1 mi
- Graveyardunder 1 mi
- Ecclesiastical enclosureunder 1 mi
- Barrow - ring-barrowunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.