Tobernacree — Lahesheragh North

This well is marked on the 1840-41 and 1914 OS maps as 'Tobernacree' (Tobar mo Creide/ Well of the Sacred Heart/ Tobar na Croí) (ITA Survey). Situation and Description: A small clear spring in a little well with rough stonework is surrounded by a circular fence and a fuchsia hedge. A grotto and a statue of Our Lady were erected in 1954. Rounds/Legends/Offerings: This well is still visited, especially on the Saturdays before May Day, Midsummer and Michaelmas. Nine rounds of three rosaries are made to gain a cure for sore eyes. Rags are placed on the bushes and money offerings are also made. Holy Well dedicated to St Mary was described by Ó Danachair (1958, 161) as a; 'small clear spring in a little well with rough stonework surrounded by a circular earth bank, about twenty-five feet in diameter with a fuchsia hedge; a "grotto" with a statue of Our Lady was erected in 1954. Still visited; rounds are made for the cure of sore eyes; water drunk and eyes bathed. Rags are put on the bushes and money offerings in a box. Three rosaries recited during nine circuits of the well. Days of devotion are the Saturdays before May Day, Midsummer and Michaelmas'. Folklore collected from Tullamore School between 1936-37 may be related to this well which is referred to as 'Mary's Well' and which recorded the following tradition; 'Long ago there was a blessed well in North Kerry near Ballyduff. It was called Mary's Well. If any person had any pain he would go to the well and he would come home cured. The Fame of this well went through the county and they came from all parts to be cured. This went on for years and nobody ever came back from Mary's well without being cured. Even the blind and sore-eyed people used go to be cured. But this famous well did not always hold. There was a girl near the place who was going to be married and one day a half blind old woman came to her door looking for alms. She said, "I have nothing to give an old blind hag like you". And the old woman said, "That the marriage ring may never go on you until you be as blind as myself". Next morning when the girl got up she could not open her eyes and she went to Mary's Well. When she reached the well whom did she see but the old woman whom she refused the day before and she abused her and called her an old hag and she tried to pull her from the well but both of them fell into the well and got drowned and the well vanished and was never again seen and where the well was once there is now a stream'(The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0399, Pages 134-5; https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4666571/4662887). Rahavanaig School collected the following tradition about this well; 'There is one holy well in the parish in the townland of Lahesheragh. People visit it the Saturday before May, the Saturday before Saint John's and in September. Rounds are paid and prayers are said there. They go around the well nine times and they repeat a rosary for every three rounds. People have been cured of sore eyes at Tobar Na Croidhe. There is a cup at the well and the invalids drink the water and rub it to the affected part. They take home some of the water and use it for sores. People leave strings and medals tied to the bush. Money is put under the statues as an offering made. The bush never rots or decays in the winter or any other season of the year. There was another holy well in Tullamore. There was a battle on Knockanore long ago after the soldiers washed their wounds in the water of Tobar Fel [KE005-005----] and were immediately cured. The people began to use the water of Tobar Fel for household use and the well and statues disappeared' (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0400, Pages 107-8; https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4666572/4663099). Folklore collected from Ballybunnion School recorded the following tradition about 'Tobar na Croide (Croí); 'Situated on the side of Cnoc an Áir [Knockanore/Hill of the Slaughter] a whitethorn bush grows over it. Rounds are paid at this well on the Saturday before May Day and on Saturday before St. John's Day. Three rounds anti clockwise a rosary is said each round. Specially for the eyes and head. The water is applied to the affected place drank or taken away. The offerings made at this well are coins medals and rosaries placed near the well. Pieces of cloth are tied to the bush at finish of rounds' (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0401, Page 001;https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4666574/4663204/4666711?ChapterID=4666574). The following cure was described in the folklore collected by Lisselton School which recorded the following tradition; 'One night a man called Barry went hunting a horse and he broke his leg. He was a long time lying on a settle bed near the fire and was not improving. There was a blessed well on the top of Cnoc an Óir [Knockanore], the name of it was Tobar na Croidhe. His mother took him on her back to this well, she brought home the moss of the well and rubbed it to his leg. She took him three times afterwards, and the third time he could walk it down. It never played on him again. His brother was sewing harness with a straddle needle. When he was pulling it out it stuck in his eye and blood spouted out of it. His mother took him to the same well and rubbed the moss to his his eye. The third day he said to her I can see a trout in the bottom of the well. From that day out his eye was alright' (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0401, Pages 187-8; https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4666576/4663391). See attached colour photographs courtesy of Amanda Clarke. The above description is derived from C. Toal, ‘North Kerry Archaeological Survey’. Dingle. Brandon in association with FAS Training and Employment Authority (1995), no. 890. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 17 May 2022