Heffernans Well, Old Thorn

Holy well and thorn bush located in area of coniferous plantation. According to Lynch (1994, 639) there is a holy well known as ‘St Bride’s Well’ in the townland of Roddenagh that is mentioned in the 1930s Irish Folklore Commission, Schools Manuscript Collection (IFC S 1135: 96-7). The folklore manuscripts recorded the tradition that ‘Rounds were paid up to 50 years ago for cures, chiefly of toothache. Rags used to be tied to a sceach at the well…The place is now planted over by the Forestry Dept. and the existence of the well mostly forgotten’ (Lynch 1994, 639). This may be the same monument depicted on the 1838 edition of the OS six-inch map as ‘Heffernan’s Well’. An old thorn bush beside the well may be the ‘sceach’, mentioned above and could be the same bush that is marked as ‘Old Thorn’ beside ‘Heffernan’s Well’ on the six-inch OS map. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 22 January 2013

Linked to St Brigid, the well is associated with healing and fertility traditions, common in many Irish holy wells dedicated to her. Local folklore may include practices such as leaving clooties or making offerings for health and prosperity.