Holy well in Ballydeloughy

In roadside field fence, on E side of field in which stands Ballydeloughy castle (14281). Hollow (dry) in base of sycamore tree known locally as St Catherine's well. According to local information, well originally located in Ballydeloughy graveyard (14539) but moved when someone washed clothes in it. Grove White (1905-25, vol. 1, 156) was informed that it held water in the driest summer and 'it is the holy well resuscitated...which was filled in a long time ago near the old church' . 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

Linked to St Catherine, the well is traditionally associated with healing and protection, with local belief holding that the saint was a strong and virtuous figure, often depicted with a wheel, symbolizing both her martyrdom and the turning of fate. The hollow beneath the sycamore tree is thought to have once held water, used in local rituals or for drinking, though it is now dry.