What is recorded here

Holy well in Caher East is a small limestone spring on a south-facing slope above the Roughty River valley. Until the 1930s, people went there on 15 August for pilgrimage, and the well may have stood near an old church marked on a 1600 map of Glanarought. Now overgrowth hides most of it, but the water still leaves the scarp and runs east, keeping the place alive beneath its quiet pasture.

In pasture, on a S-facing slope overlooking the valley of the Roughty River. Water emerges from the base of a tree-covered limestone scarp and forms a well (Wth c. 0.6m; D 0.18m), largely obscured by overgrowth. The water then flows to the E along the base of the scarp. According to McCarthy (1993, 16), this was a place of pilgrimage on 15 August up to the 1930s. McCarthy suggests that the church (KE093-129----) which is indicated on a map of Glanarought dated 1600AD (Cal. Carew MSS), may have been in the vicinity of this well (ibid.). The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Kerry. Volume I: South-West Kerry' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2009). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 30 May 2011

Linked to Saint Gobnait, the well is traditionally associated with cures for eye ailments and was historically visited by those seeking healing through immersion or the collection of water on specific feast days. The site reflects a blend of early Christian devotion and pre-Christian water worship, common in many Irish holy well traditions.

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