Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

Marked on the 1839 and 1925 Eds of the OS 6-inch map and described as Tobermunna on both. It is located on SE-facing slope c. 350m N of the site of St. Munna’s original church (WX041-008003-). Access is by a narrow walled path (L c. 60m) from the street to the W. The well is a rectangular sunken area (dims 1.4m E-W; 1.2m N-S) with a plastered brick canopy (int. H 0.97m) over it. ‘AMGD’ is inscribed over the well opening at S and on the W side is inscribed ‘1896 Tobermunn’. The well was dry in 1988 and there is no evidence of, or record of, veneration.

St. Munna may have been from Wesmeath – Longford, and through his mother, Feidhealm, connected to Niall Naoighiallach (of the nine hostages) and the royal families of Ireland. His Saint’s Life may have been written as early as the 8th century, and thus be relatively uncorrupted. He studied at Kilmore, Co. Cavan, and Devinish, Co. Fermanagh, and has been connected with Colum Cille of Iona. His first churches were in the midlands, but in later life he settled in Taghmon where he is said to have died in 635 (Culleton 1999, 108-85; Ó Riain 2011, 505-07).

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 20 March, 2013
Amended: 15 January, 2014

References

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

Culleton, E. 1999 Celtic and Early Christian Wexford. Dublin: Four Courts Press, 1999.