Tobersenan — Tarmon East

Marked on the 1840-41 and 1914 OS maps as 'Tobersenan' (Tobar Seanain - St Senan's well). Situation and Description: This well consists of a circular drystone wall with a modern drain running from the well in a WNW direction. There is a large ash tree and a path near by. Rounds and Offerings: It is still visited on Sundays before May Day, Midsummer and Michaelmas. This water cures aches, pains and sore eyes. Stones are used to count the rounds and rags are left on briars as offerings. Legends: (a) The well moved when it was desecrated. (b) The water from the well will not boil, (c) A fish has been seen in the well by persons cured there. Ó Danachair (1958, 161) recorded the following details about this well; 'A good clear well about five feet in diameter, surrounded by a circular bank of stones and clay. There is a large ash tree nearby and a rounds path. Still visited. Cures aches and pains and sore eyes; the water is drunk and the afflicted members bathed. Pebbles are used to count the rounds and rags and small religious objects left as offerings. Days of devotion are the Saturdays before May Day, Midsummer and Michaelmas. Legends: The water will not boil. A trout is seen by those about to be cured. The well moved when desecrated'. Folklore collected from Leanamore School recorded the following tradition about this well; ‘There is a holy well over in Tarmons and it is in Buckley's land. It is called St. Sinan's Well and many persons who go there are cured. There is a tree growing near it and the well is always flowing water. Long ago some one in Tarmons put the water into a pot over the fire but it would not boil. The next morning the well was at the other side of the road. She went and told the priest and he said Mass at the well. Ever since the well is holy. People pay rounds on different Saturdays such as the Saturday before Michaelmas, and the Saturday before St. John's Day, the Saturday before the 29th of September. People throw pieces of rags in the well and leave medals on the tree to be remembered. It is said that there are some kind of fish in the well, and that when a personhas great faith in the well, that the fish will come up in the water and spatter it up on the person and then he will get cured. Anyone that gets cured there leaves a stick or a crutch at the well' (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0403, Page 169; https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4666584/4664020). Another story collected from Leanamore School recorded the following origin legend about this well; ‘There is also a blessed well in Tarmons named St. Senán's Well, it is said he was passing one day and got very thirsty, he took a stone from the ground and he discovered that there was a Spring there. He took a drink and he said that anyone that would have trust in it would get cured, and this was how it got its name. As he was going away he left a medal with the words Holy Well written on it. At that time all the people living there were protestants and they did not respect it, but after a time it was sunk and lined and planted around with trees by John Buckley R. T. P. and ever since it is honoured by all the people' (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0403, Page 174;https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4666584/4664025). Folklore collected from Tarmon East School recorded the following tradition about this well; 'A blessed well is situated in Patrick Buckley's field. It is called St. Sinan's Well. People pay round to this well very often. There are three special Saturdays on which they pay rounds - the Saturday before May Day, the Saturday before St. John's Day, and the Saturday before Michaelmas. Rounds are paid in order to obtain cures. They say a decade of the Rosary and as they say it they drop a stone into the stream. Everybody that goes to this well, takes three drinks of water. They also wash their eyes or any sores they have with the water. A piece of cloth or ribbon is usually left by everybody. A most interesting story is told about this well. At one time it was situated in a farm owned by Mr. Elliot. A servant who worked for the Elliots, one day drew water with which she intended to wash cloths. She put the water down to boil. There it hang for hours without ever heating. Next day when she went to the well to draw water, there was not a trace of it. Some days later a well sprung up in the field nearby' (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0403, Page 456; https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4666588/4664307). Folklore collected from Tarbert School recorded the following tradition about this well; 'There is a well in Tarmons known as St. Senan's. It is in the corner of Buckley's field in Ballintubber. This well is not deep and a stream flows out of it. Always in the month of May people pay rounds at this well on every Saturday of the month. This is how people pay rounds. People pick up seven pebbles out of the stream and then kneel down at the well and start reciting the Rosary. Then they start at the right hand side of the well and walk slowly all round reciting a decade of the Rosary while going round. At the end of each decade they throw one pebble away. Then when the seventh round is paid they kneel down and finish the Rosary. Then they take three drinks out of the well and wash their faces at the stream. Then they usually tie a piece of string on an overhanging bush. It is said that according as the cloth wears away the disease wears off the patient. It is called St. Senan's well because it was St. Senan who blessed its waters. From the well you can see the ruins of seven churches and round tower in Scattery built by St. Senan. There are no fish in the well and the water is not used for household purposes. Once a woman went to fill her kettle at the well. She forgot to bring a vessel with which to fill her kettle. She left her kettle at the well and went back for a saucepan. When she returned the well had disappeared and the bush with it. It went from the top of the hill to the side where it is now.' (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0404, Pages 093-5;https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4666590/4664447). 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. 893. 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