Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

A well is marked on the 1839 and 1925 eds of the OS 6-inch map and described in italic lettering on both as Duffins Well. It is located on the level, low-lying and narrow part (L c. 4.5km NE-SW; Wth c. 600m-1.5km NW-SE) of the Hook peninsula, with the E shore of the Barrow/Nore/Suir estuary c. 20m to the NW. Although not recorded by John O’Donovan writing c. 1840 this may be a holy well, the name being a corruption of Dubhán (Hore 1900-11, vol. 4, 359), the patron of the parish from whom the old name of the peninsula – Rinn Dubhán Ailithir (the point of Dubhán, pilgrim) – is derived (ibid. vol. 4, 392-3). This is a covered well with a pump. There is no evidence of, or record of, veneration. Hook church (WX054-009001-) is c. 850m to the SSW. (Redmond 1898, 29; Colfer 1978, 11; Culleton 1999, 129)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 31 March, 2014

References

Hore, P.H. 1900-1911 (Reprint 1979) History of the town and county of Wexford, 6 vols. Dublin. Published by arrangement with W.A. Hennessy Esq.

Redmond, G. O'Connell 1898 History and topography of the parish of Hook, Co. Wexford, Journal of the Waterford and South-east of Ireland Archaeological Society 4, 21-35, 96-104, 164-85, 220-27.

Colfer, B. 1978 The promontory of Hook. Wexford, Author

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