What is recorded here

Hot summer water from the earl’s own rock, brewed for Brendan’s day and drunk by key-street neighbours. The Red Earl’s hall fell, but the well kept its name and its feast. On 16th May the lane still smelled of celebration, as if stone and water had refused to forget the man who first cut them open.

With reference to the Red Earl’s Hall (GA094-100041-) Roderic O’Flaherty, writing in 1684, noted that ‘The ruines of the earle’s house called Clogh-an-hiarla, or the earl’s stone, are still extant in Galway nigh the key, where there is a well dedicated to St Brendan, patron of Enagh-duin diocess, wherein was Galway, whose feast, 16th May, usually kept holy by the key-street dwellers of old.’ (Hardiman 1846, 33). This may be identfied with that referred to in a property lease as the ‘Earl’s Well’ in 1686 (Prunty and Walsh 2016, 38). Although the precise location of this well is unknown it would appear to have been in the general area of the present Custom House. Compiled by: Paul Walsh Date of upload: 4 February 2018

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