Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ritual site - holy well
Ballyla, County Wexford, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Ballyla
- County
- Wexford
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- St. Colums Well
- Latest-edition OS map
- St. Colums Well
- Coordinates
- 52.37230, -6.43046
- SMR number
- WX038-002----
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
University Library, Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamUniversity Library, Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1811 "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 on a slight W-facing slope with a small N-S stream c. 35m to the W. According to John O’Donovan writing c. 1840 a pattern was held at this well on June 9th in honour of St. Columkille, or Colum Cille, of Iona (O’Flanagan 1933, vol. 1, 307). The well is a natural spring, now concreted over. St. Colum Cille is one of the best-documented saints from early Ireland and was commemorated throughout the country as one of the three national saints. He was from the ruling Ceinéal Conaill of Donegal, but his mother, Eithne, may have been connected with the Uí Bhairrche of Carlow/Wexford. He was educated by Fionnbharr of Movila in Co. Down, but his secret copying of a text led to the battle of Cúil Dreimhne and his self-imposed exile in Iona, where his monastery, founded c. 550, became the centre of the Columban mission to Britain and the continent. (Ó Riain 2011, 211-14)
Compiled by: Michael Moore
Date of upload: 18 January, 2012
Nearby in the register
- Enclosure - large enclosureunder 1 mi
- Churchunder 1 mi
- Graveyardunder 1 mi
- Ritual site - holy wellunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.