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Holy well in Oughtdarra

Holy well

What is recorded here

Toberaneenagh, the wine well, is remembered only through a name that suggests celebration rather than suffering. The dedication is lost, the water is hidden, and the field itself has swallowed the mark. What remains is a invitation to imagine the people who drank there, celebrated there, or left the well behind when the name changed.
A well at Oughtdarra is referred to by Westropp (1905, 343) who notes that ‘the dedication of the well is forgotten, the name being Toberaneenagh, translated "wine well."’ On field inspection in 1998 the well was not visible and its location is unknown. Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Lynda McCormack Date of upload: 5 October 2022
The holy well at Oughtdarra, known locally as Toberaneenagh, is thought to derive its name from the Irish "Tobar an Eichin," possibly meaning "well of the small horse," though it has been translated as "wine well." While its original saintly dedication is now lost, such wells were often associated with early Christian saints and were used for healing rituals and seasonal festivals in Irish tradition.

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

What survives
Recorded monument

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