Lady Well

Within an extensive area of outcropping rock. This natural spring is enclosed by a low wall on the W, N and E sides, an opening in the NW corner allows access. The S wall is more substantial (L 2m; H 1.5m; T 0.65m) and contains an inscribed stone plaque. On the upper half of the plaque is a carving in false relief of the Virgin and Child with an IHS monogram carved in the top right-hand corner. The lower half bears the following inscription: 'Pray for John Ferrall of / Ardenragh Esq. Consort / and family who erected this monument and left / the ground where of ye Chapple and Well / stands in Honr. of the / Blessed Virgin Mary / Ano Domi 1730'. A whitethorn bush (LF023-040001-) grows beside the well at the E and both the well and bush are adorned with religious memorabilia. The site of a chapel (LF023-039----) and a bullaun (LF023-041----) lie c. 10m to the NW and c. 44m to the SW respectively. (English 1971, 147) Compiled by: Paul Walsh Date of upload: 07 June 2013

Linked to a local tradition of healing, the Lady Well is associated with a female saint or spirit, possibly St. Brigid, whose festivals often coincide with water-based rituals for fertility and protection. The well’s enclosure and directional access suggest a structured pattern of veneration, common in early Christian and pre-Christian Celtic practices.