Holy well in An Cluain

Not marked on the OS maps, this holy well was located on the roadside adjacent to a ceallúnach burial ground (KE088-031----). Known locally as Tobar an Cheallúnaigh, it was formerly visited on Good Fridays, when rounds included a visit to the nearby burial ground (Sugrue 1993, 40). No surface trace of the well survives. The above description is derived from A. O'Sullivan and J. Sheehan (compilers), 'The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of South Kerry'. Cork University Press (1996), no. 1059. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 30 July 2013

Linked to a local tradition of pilgrimage on Good Friday, Tobar an Cheallúnaigh was associated with the nearby ceallúnach burial ground, reflecting a continuity of sacred landscape use in early Christian Ireland. The well’s name suggests a connection to an anchorite or hermitage, though no specific saint is recorded in association with the site.