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 in gothic lettering on both as St. Martin’s Well. It is located c. 15m from the E bank of a small N-S stream on a level, low-lying landscape and c. 100m NE of the site of Rathmacknee church (WX042-029002-). According to John O’Donovan writing c. 1840 the pattern was held for a whole week beginning on the 11th of November, until it was abolished c. 1810 (O’Flanagan 1933, vol. 1, 291). It is not visible at ground level in pasture.
The dedication is to St. Martin of Tours. He was a Christian and a soldier in the Roman army, renowned for his charity. He was a devotee of St. Hillary, bishop of Potiers, who provided him with land for a monastery at Potiers, the first to be built in Gaul, and in 371 Martin became bishop of Tours. He continued to live a severe monastic life, founding the monastery of Marmoutier at Tours, and he died in AD 397. (Butler 1883, 161)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 28 May, 2013
Amended: 15 January, 2014

References

Butler, Rev. A. 1883 Lives of the Saints. J. S. Virtue London and Dublin, Reprint (1990) London. Studio Editions (Abridged)