Good Well Hunting: what exactly makes a well holy?

Dotted around County Cork are many wells, some which seem to have the potential for being a holy well yet are not officially recognised as such. Over the summer I have been invited to visit several wells in different parts of the county by people curious as to whether their well was holy or not! First stop was Kilworth, near Fermoy in North Cork.

Glansheskin Well, near Kilworth, North Cork

Invited by Lucy and Noel to inspect a well, we travelled up the M8 towards Fermoy then on to Kilworth where a most delicious lunch greeted us. Thus fuelled, we set off to walk to Glensheskin Woods, now managed by Coillte and a popular place for families. Everywhere was looking stunning, the bluebells still flowering, the trees opening into leaf and the little Douglas River flowing at our side.

The well was delightful, tucked into the bank just off the walking path, a semi-circle of stone blocks protecting the spring. Although the construction looks older, it was apparently put up by Community Council about 15 years ago.

The water was exceptionally fresh and very cold and could be seen percolating. It was abundant and seeped out into the undergrowth. We asked a passing woman if she knew anything about the well – she said it made a fine cup of tea – uh oh, no self respecting holy well would allow its water to boil!

The well is not marked on the historic maps and there appears to be no folklore connected with it though the surrounding area is rich in history. Judging by the woman’s comment the water is still used and appreciated by locals, including Lucy and Noel, yet seems to have no holy credentials.

Wet Lane Well & Wood Point Well, Courtmacsherry

On to Courtmacsherry in West Cork on the invitation of Jim who knew of two wells in the vicinity and wondered about their origins. The first was located in the promisingly named Wet Lane on Spring Hill. Wet Lane was narrow and steep, wending up from the main road on the coast. The well lay on the side of the road, tucked into a slope

It was made of stone blocks, almost a traditional beehive-shape with a lintel.

There was a little water inside but it was murky, full of a glutinous looking weed. Apparently after rain the water gushes down the hillside. There was evidence that the well might originally have had a door.

The well is marked as a small circle on the 6 historic inch map (1829-41).

As you would expect more details are given in the 25 inch map (1888-1913). Now it is clearly labelled well and above it is a pump. By this time, Wet Lane had become strategically important with the barracks on its corner (established 1923) leading up to an impressive Coastguard station built in 1865, apparently the most heavily fortified station in Ireland.

There is no mention of the well in the Schools’ Folklore Collection and I suspect this was a community well, maybe even serving the barracks and coastguard station at some point.

Jim lead the way to the second well deep in the woods at Wood Point. This was a beautiful walk, the trees dense, large and imposing with the sea below us.

The well was tucked into the fern-strewn bank and easy to miss. In fact Jim, who walks here regularly, only noticed the well after a recent storm when a large tree above it fell down. As it was cleared the well was revealed.

Peering into the interior, it appeared to be stone clad. The loose rubble in the currently dry interior had been put there recently but the flat slab in front was in its original position. Although there was no water within, there was evidence that it was quick to fill up after rain as there was a clear channel running from it to the edge of the land and then into the sea.

Jim described how the huge tree (he’s sitting on it!) had almost engulfed the well. This suggests that the well had been there a while.

Consulting the historic maps again it seems Wood Point was once part of the demesne of a Georgian mansion built in 1820 as the summer home of the Earl of Shannon and it was he who planted many exotic trees and woods around the village. The woodland itself is still full of mossy walls and discernible pathways. Was the well once part of this estate? Courtmacsherry still entices interesting summer guests. As we were walking back we passed a man in a dry robe off for a swim. We exchanged pleasantries and walked on – hang on, was that the Taoiseach? Yes Micheál Martin likes to holiday here, and who can blame him

Caherkirky Well, near Rossmore, West Cork

Next to the delightfully named townland of Caherkirky (the hen’s stone fort) near Rossmore in West Cork at the invitation of Anne who had sent me an intriguing image and was wondering whether it might be a holy well. Again I was fed a delicious lunch of nettle soup and homemade bread and then in the company of two lurchers we set off to explore. First glimpses looked encouraging: a sturdy lintel, impressive stone work and a lot of nettles.

We gently cleared around the well to reveal a substantial construction, strongly made with what looked like a slab in front.

It was dry but Anne said it quickly filled up after a bit of rain.

Later, again perusing the historic maps, a well was identified on the 25inch map but it was some way off in the fields yet had a clearly defined path leading to the position of the current well.

Intrigued, Anne later ventured into the fields with a machete and on carefully clearing around the vegetation was amazed to discover the original well marked on the map was still there. It was a substantial stone construction containing a rectangular basin, currently dry.

There is no mention of this well in the Schools’ Folklore Collection or elsewhere and it seems likely that it was the home well for the two houses shown on the historic OS map, one crumbling away in the undergrowth, the other still occupied.

Was the original well considered too inconvenient to get to and a new construction made lower down? Apparently locals still use the well and the water is considered very good.

There are other examples of wells available for use by locals or passing strangers and a bonus well was visited on my next trip to Toames, near Macroom, kindly invited by Helen.

Public Well, Moneycusker, near Macroom

This example, not far from the historic graveyard at Moneycusker, was tucked just off the road and was helpfully signed.

The well was attractively built out of large chunks of stone, nestling into the bank at the roadside. The water gathered in a rectangular basin and was plentiful, cold and clear.

It had an unusual guardian – a peacock, seen here just disappearing over the wall!

It is not marked on the historic maps nor does it appear to have any folklore associated with it but I liked it. Incidentally, there is a possible holy well in the old churchyard at Moneyclusker, already recorded.

Close by lay another well, the object of my invitation by Helen.

May’s Well, Toames near Macroom

May’s Well in nearby Toames was approached down a secretive boreen, a little flowerbed at the top hinting at something below.

The boreen led to a stream, the well close by, separated from the stream by large stone blocks. Although a bit leaf strewn the water was copious and cold.

The well was named after a local woman, May, who had lived nearby in the now derelict pink house.

She regularly used the water for the house and attested to its goodness. She can’t have been the only one to use it for the well is very close to St Finbarr’s church, a now derelict school and an empty pub – right in the heart of the village. Helen remembered playing here as a child and has fond memories of May. She has taken it on herself to keep the well carefully tended and alive.

All wells visited look very promising yet I suspect not one of them can be actually classified as holy. Why not?

As part of the visit to the Toames area we also visited St Michael’s Well in Cooldaniel. This is a bona fide holy well. What does this one have that the others don’t?

There are clues in this extract from the Schools’ Folklore Collection:

There is only  one holy well in this parish. It is dedicated to Saint Michael and is situated ib the townland of Cooldaniel. Rounds are performed at this well on all Sundays of the year but especially on St Michael’s Day the 28th September. It is a fairly deep well and even in the dryest of summers it was never known to go dry. A little wall is built around it with an arched covering overhead. On the walls are crosses about three feet apart. At these people kneel and pray while performing the rounds. The old people tell a story about this well. A Protestant who lived in the district thought  he would have a joke on the Catholics who honoured this well so much so he took some of it home for household purposes placing some of it in a kettle on a blazing fire to boil.He then awaited the results and was amazed to see that after many hours it was as cold as ever. He was thus compelled to admit there was something supernatural in it.

SFC:017:0340

The final sentence is the most telling. One of the most difficult things is to come up with is a satisfactory definition of what constitutes a holy well. I’ve tried to give a plausible definition elsewhere in the blog and usually come up with: a body of water where something supernatural has occurred giving rise to its devotion.

Although the wells featured today had, in some cases, wellhouses made from stones, fresh clear water (one percolating), were renowned for the goodness of their water and were still visited they lacked one vital ingredient: a supernatural occurrence. No wandering saints had caused these wells to spring up, no miraculous cures had been witnessed nor any blessed fish marvelled at. The water boiled, they remained unoffended by passing strangers. The folklore was silent.

There is an argument to be had that all wells and springs as providers of water are to be marvelled at and cherished. And I would go along with that.

Many thanks to Lucy and Noel from Kilworth; Anne from Caherkirky; Helen, Bo, Mila, Bernadette, Barrahane and Holly the dog at Toames; and Jim at Courtmacsherry.

I’m off to New Zealand for six weeks so the Blog will be quiet. Normal service will resume in October.

The location of the wells can be found in the Gazetteer.