What is recorded here

Friars Well in County Cavan was a small stagnant pool marked by two large stones before the site became infilled. Davies speculated the water may have hidden a band of friars after the Dissolution, turning an ordinary ditch into a temporary refuge. That possibility gives the lost pool a sharper edge, as if the earth swallowed both the water and the people who drank from it.

Site has been infilled. An earlier report (OPW 1968) described a small stagnant pool of water, irregular in plan. Two large stones were identified in the water to one side. Davies (1948, 118) speculated that this place may have afforded refuge for a band of friars following the Dissolution (CV020-050002-). The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cavan' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1995). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 22 December 2008

Linked to a tradition of pilgrimage and healing, Friars Well is associated with the veneration of friars, possibly Franciscan, who were active in the region during the medieval period. The presence of two large stones in the water may indicate a ritual or symbolic function, though the site's infilling has obscured much of its original character.

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.