What is recorded here

Bishops Well in County Laois is a shallow holy pool about 1.3m across, still named for a bishop though no more remains visible than water and memory. It is the kind of place where prayer, drink and story all touch the same stone, and the small size makes the devotion seem larger rather than lesser.

Reference to a holy well here known as Bishop's Well (Carrigan 1905, vol. 2, 58). Remains of a shallow pool of water (D c. 1.3m). The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Laois' (Dublin Stationery Office, 1995) compiled by P. David Sweetman, Olive Alcock and Bernie Moran. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 17 December 2007

Linked to a local tradition of pilgrimage and healing, Bishop's Well is associated with a Christian saint, possibly a bishop, whose name has not been recorded. The site's enduring use as a holy well suggests a continuity of religious practice from early Christian times.

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