Brides Well

A well is marked on the 1839 and 1940 eds of the OS 6-inch map and described as Bride’s Well in gothic lettering on both. It is situated on the S bank of an E-W section of a small NE-SW stream and c. 40m W of Brideswell Bridge. It is also c. 180m S of the point where the boundaries of the medieval parishes of Kilmannan, Mularankin and Kilcowan meet. St Bride’s well on the land of Baldwinstown is the starting point for the description of the boundary of Kilmannan parish in the Civil Survey (1654-6) (Simington 1953, 135). There are no other descriptions of the well. It is not visible at ground level in pasture. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload; 16 October, 2013

Linked to Saint Bridget (Brigid), a well known figure in early Irish Christianity, the well is associated with healing and fertility traditions. The name suggests a possible connection to pre-Christian water deities or local saints, with similar wells often used for rituals involving water for health and protection.