What is recorded here

Killowen holy well stands north of the graveyard on a steep west-facing slope now hidden by forest. Its triangular basin holds water beside a bullaun stone, while overflow trickles down the hill like a forgotten trickle of prayer. People may have knelt at that stone or drank from the well during feast days, tying bodily life to the land. The loose stones and hidden slope suggest the site resisted forgetting even when names and paths faded.

Ó Ríordáin (1932, 65) records holy well W of Killowen graveyard (CO109-016001-), possibly a mistake for this site, which is N of graveyard. On steep W-facing slope now forested. Well triangular in shape, surrounded by loose stones. Overflow trickles down the slope. Bullaun stone (CO109-015002-) beside well. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 1: West Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1992). 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 Saint Fillan, the well is traditionally associated with cures for skin ailments and general healing. Local folklore suggests that water was collected at dawn for maximum efficacy, and the site may have pre-Christian ritual significance given its prominent hillside location.

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