Bastionfort Well

In flat marshy field, subsequently reclaimed, c. 40m of an E-W flowing stream which flows into the River Barrow, on the W edge of Gowran village. Described in the OS Namebooks (O'Donovan et al. c. 1840) as, 'Tobar bhaiste an phoill = Baptism well of the hole or pit...A holy well...said to be the best water in all Ireland: it being measured and weighed by an Englishman who pronounced it such'. According to Drennan (1965, 53) the well was used for religious purposes before the piped water supply was installed. A circular concrete wall with rounded top encloses the well, with a metal gate in the entrance gap. See attached photograph (7 July 1992) Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 14 December 2020

Linked to Saint Bastian, the well is associated with healing traditions, particularly for ailments of the eyes and skin. Local folklore suggests that the water was especially efficacious when collected at dawn and combined with specific prayers or rituals.