What is recorded here

Patricks Well is a humble spring chamber in County Limerick, marked by four rectangular stones and a dry-stone shaft now choked with rubble. The parish belongs to St Patrick, yet the water draws no crowds and keeps no visible ceremony. It waits beneath the pasture like a forgotten promise, waiting for someone reckless enough to remember why holy water exists.

Situated c. 10m W of an overgrown trackway, in rolling pasture. Four rectangular stones (L c. 0.8m, D 0.3m; Wth. 0.5m) are arranged at ground level to form a square over the dry-stone cylindrical shaft of a spring well. The S stone has tumbled in, leaving a rectangular aperture (c. 0.5m N-S, by 0.3m). The E stone is set in the ground a step lower than the others and contains a natural hole that is circular in plan. The shaft of the well has been filled-in with rubble to a depth of c. 0.4m below ground level. According to Ó Danachair it was 'A little well of clear water in a field. It is known locally as "The Blessed Well" but no devotions are performed, and no traditions survive. The parish is dedicated to St Patrick.' (Ó Danachair 1955, 202). Compiled by: Denis Power Date of upload: 26 March 2013

Linked to St. Patrick, the well may have been a site of pilgrimage or seasonal ritual, reflecting the widespread veneration of the saint in early Christian Ireland. Holy wells dedicated to St. Patrick were often associated with general healing and protection, with traditions of leaving coins or making offerings at the site.

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