What is recorded here

Tobar Una, a blessed holy well, lies a few yards from the Ballybahallagh graveyard where people once paid rounds on May 1st. The tradition continued until about 1974, when local participation faded and the exact water source disappeared from memory. What remains is a small ritual gap in the landscape, marked only by the graveyard and the name preserved in two separate accounts.

Bowman (1934, 73) recorded holy well c. 10 yards NE of burial ground (14064) where rounds were paid on May 1st, but which have been 'discontinued for the past 60 years'. O'Mullane (1978-9, 38) recorded 'blessed well, Tobar Una' on Sean Connor's land 'a few yards from the graveyard'. Exact location not known. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 4: North Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2000). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009

The holy well in Ballybahallagh is associated with Saint Tob, a lesser-known early Irish saint, and was traditionally visited for blessings and healing. Rituals at the well, including rounds paid on May 1st, were linked to local folklore emphasizing purification and protection, though these practices have since fallen out of use.

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