Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated at the crest of a SW-facing slope in a small grove (dims. c. 30m NW-SE; c. 25m NE-SW). According to Lewis (1837, vol. 1, 595) St Cooraun’s Well was venerated in the 1830s and was resorted to for the cure of infants. The pattern was held on the 9th of February (Grattan Flood 1915, 103), which is the saint's feastday (Ó Riain 2011, 242-3). The well may have become established after the demise of St. Kieran’s Well (WX0236-025----), c. 200m to the SW. Two pools are the source of a stream that runs off to the W and then SW. One of the pools (diam. 3.9m) is surrounded by a masonry wall T 0.35m; ext. H 0.6m; int. H 1.1m) with an iron gate (Wth 0.6-0.8m) that has brick piers at the SW. There are offerings at the well and a slate slab (dims. 0.6m x 0.4m) bears the inscription ‘Saint Cooraun’s Well’. It is thought locally that at one time the Stations of the Cross were recited at fourteen of the mature trees.

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 25 July, 2012

References

Lewis, S. 1837 A topographical dictionary of Ireland, 2 vols. London. Lewis and Co.

Flood, W.H. Grattan 1915 History of the Diocese of Ferns. Waterford. Downey.

Ó Riain, P. 2011 A dictionary of Irish Saints. Dublin. Four Courts Press.