Holy well in Bray

This spring well, not marked on the OS maps, is located on the N side of the trackway which leads to the top of Bray Head, Valencia Island. It was housed within a drystone structure which is now very ruined. There is a vague local tradition that it was a holy well. A crozier is reputed to have been found in it (Pochin Mould 1978, 42), and it is known locally as Tobar Bachaillín. 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. 1055. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 30 July 2013

Linked to Saint Bricin, this holy well was traditionally visited for cures related to eye ailments and general healing. The site reflects a long-standing Christian and pre-Christian tradition of water worship in Ireland, where such wells were believed to possess curative powers through both divine and natural means.