Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

The 'Site of a Monastery' (WM029-009----) located in the grounds of Twyford House may have been the site of Íseal Chiaráin, or the low place of St. Ciaran of Clonmacnoise (Cox 1969, 6-14; O'Donovan 1851, 824). A motte castle (WM029-007----) lies 270m to W. The site of a high cross (WM029-008----), a holy well (WM029-009001-), and a graveyard (WM029-009003-) are reputed to be associated with this ecclesiastical site.
A holy well (WM029-009002-), said locally to be dedicated to St Ciaran, is located in a field outside the garden of Twyford House (Cox 1969, 6-14). A ‘well’ is depicted and named on the 1910 ed. OS 25-inch map, c. 120m to N of the ecclesiastical site (WM029-009----). The original location of a high cross (WM029-008----), known locally as the Bealin Cross, is understood to have been situated nearby (ibid). According to Cox it was from near this well that the Bealin Cross, dated about 800 A.D., was moved by Dean Handcock about 1700 and erected where it now stands. An annual pilgrimage used to take place to the cross,where “stations” were performed up to about eighty years ago.

Compiled by: Alison McQueen, Vera Rahilly and Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 29 November 2018

References

Cox, L. 1969 Íseal Chiaráin, the low place of St. Ciarán, where was it situated. Journal of the Old Athlone Society 1, 6-14.

O'Donovan, J. (ed. and trans.) 1856 Annals of the kingdom of Ireland, by the four masters, from the earliest period to the year 1616. Dublin. Hodges, Smith and Co.