St Senan’s Well, Tobershenane, near Listowel

We visited this well shortly after St Michael’s Well  in Lixnaw- what a striking contrast! No huge statues, paved areas or painted energy points here, just an ambling walk down an old green track towards a small clump of trees, keeping a wary eye out for the bull!

It hasn’t changed much since 1958 by the look of it. This is how Caoimhin Ó Donachair described it in his paper The Holy Wells of North Kerry:

… an enclosed area within earthen banks, measuring 15 square yards enclosing the well which is a clear rapid spring in a clump of sally and blackthorn bushes.

The Holy Wells of North Kerry. Vol 88, No 2 p158, The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries , 1958

The salleys are still evident and the site is clearly tucked into the bank of the field surrounded by  a circular enclosure.  Apparently the well originally was to be found in East Clare but moved when it was disrespected:

This well is situated about four miles northeast of LIxnaw and is near the burial ground of the same name. The old people call the place Kilshináne and there is a tradition that this well was removed here from East Clare where it was desecrated. It is in a picturesque locality and is off the main road from Tralee to Listowel and is still visited by numbers of people who pay rounds there and numerous cures have been affected … There are some large whitethorn bushes growing around the well and a copious supply of water issues from it eventually forming  a river which is a tributary of the Brick.

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Another version describes St Senan himself causing the well to spring up:

It is thought that the well sprang up suddenly one one night because of Saint Senan’s prayer.

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It seems the saint  took a quick sleep here for there is a stone known as his pillow that contains the imprint of his face. More of that in a moment.

The walk down towards the well is soggy and green, the grass full of daisies.

The well house looms into view, large and apse shaped made of rough blocks of stones. A battered bench is placed hopefully in front if it.

The front (and I was shooting into the sun) reveals the well, a tunnel like entrance at the base of the well house leading to the water.

Above it a niche contains three statues and to the left a face gazes out benignly – actually a carved stone, the details painted over – was this the saint’s pillow referred to earlier, now placed on the well? A cross has been scratched below the image and it’s just possible to make out the lettering St Senan.

It seems the wellhouse was the work of a devout and much respected local school teacher, Miss Maggie O Connell, who is mentioned admiringly in several of the extracts in the Schools’ Folklore Collection:

Saint Senan was a great Kilshinane Saint. His well is situated in Kilshinane in John O’Connor’s farm. Many people pray for sore eyes or for any sore they have. If they are to be cured they will see a white trout in the water. It is thought to be a very good well as people come from far and near to pray rounds there. We may pray rounds there any day, but there are four special days for doing so – Saint Senan’s day, the 8th March, the Saturday before the 1st of May the Saturday before Saint John’s day, and the 24th June, and the Saturday before Michaelmas the 29th of September. Saint Senan’s well is surrounded by an iron railing. There are three statues over the well placed there by one who may yet be canonized – the late Miss O’Connell, Principal teacher of Dromclough Girls’ National School. One of these is of the Blessed Virgin Mary, one of the Sacred Heart, another of the Mary of the Gael Saint Brigid. It is thought that the well sprang up suddenly one one night because of Saint Senan’s prayer. In olden times a pattern was held there on Saint Senan’s day 8th of March. Whenever there is a funeral at Kilshinane cemetery crowds of strangers go to see the well. It is thought that long ago some person took home some of the well-water to boil as an experiment but if it was down since it would not warm not alone to boil. When people go there they bring home a bottle of the well water with them, some people leave money there to repair the well. Miss O’Connell R.I.P. The Principal Teacher of Dromclough Girls national school got it repaired first, and got the statues over the well and the iron railing round it also.

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The three statues remain as does the donation box but the iron railings have gone.

The water today is abundant but a bit scummy in the well itself though the water flowing out into the stream is fresh and full of watercress.

The water is said to hold a cure for eye ailments and running sores. There Is a story of a young blind girl visiting the well who was a little forgetful:

A girl who was blind visited the well. She rubbed the water to her eyes and she was cured. The next morning she was blind again because she neglected to thank God.

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Once the well attracted many pilgrims especially on the saint’s Feast Day, the 8th March, which ended in a rather lively football cum tug of war match:

This well is situated about four miles northeast of LIxnaw and is near the burial ground of the same name. The old people call the place Kilshináne and there is a tradition that this well was removed here from East Clare where it was desecrated. It is in a picturesque locality and is off  the main road from Tralee to Listowel and is still visited by numbers of people who pay rounds there and numerous cures have been affected. Some years ago a Miss Maggie O Connell, since deceased and who was principal teacher of the Dromclough Girls National School nearby, had a beautiful shrine erected over the well. There are some large whitethorn bushes growing around the well and a copious supply of water issues from it eventually forming  a river which is a tributary of the Brick. I have heard from old people that a great pattern was held here in former times and a large concourse of people assembled there on the saint’s day which is the 8th March. They held sports and amongst that was a great football match, the rival parties being those to the south and those to the north of Kilshinan. Every man able to play took part in it and there was no counting of the men. It generally terminated in a pushing match and the party who pushed the others over into its own territory a sufficient distance was declared the winner, St Senan of Scattery is of course patron of this well.

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The rounds were as follows:

The path of the “round” follows a well beaten track around the well. The “Round” itself consists of 3 Rosaries, one to be said while walking round the well 3 times, therefore it takes 9 rounds of the well to complete the 3 Rosaries. The round is started by kneeling in front of the well and beginning the Rosary there and after some time stand up and walk round the orbit 3 times completing the round of the Beads in front of the well. Then start the second Rosary and walk round orbit 3 times and complete Beads at front of well. Do this the third time and your round at St Senan’s well is completed. You then take a drink of the well water from the well itself (a small mug is always there for the purpose). Next you wash the afflicted part in the stream running out of the well. Also people usually take home with them a bottle of the well water for that purpose. Many white and black thorn trees grow adjacent to the well and strings of all kinds, tassels of shawls etc are left tied to the branches in token that the particular complaint is also to be got rid of. Sometimes Cappers[?] and hairpins etc are left …  Those who came to pay rounds at the well, usually enter the burial ground by the stile and pray for the dead in general and their own deceased relations in particular. This is done on the way and from the well.

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• The well sprang up when St Senan prayed at the water
• A stone near the well is the saint’s pillow.; the imprint of his head is on it
• The water will not boil
• A white fish is seen by those about to be cured or granted favours
• A blind girl was cured there. She omitted to thank God and become blind again (The Holy Wells of North Kerry, Ibid.

Revisited in May 2024, the well was looking well kept and attractive. Still no sign of the bull!

The location of this well can be found in the Gazetteer.