Toberavilla — Behaghane

Toberavilla/Tobar an Bhile: This spring well is located c. 30m WNW of Kilcrohane Medieval church and graveyard (KE106-032001-). It is covered by a low drystone structure, on top of which lies a cross-incised slab measuring 0.44m x 0.12m x 0.1m thick. An ash tree, marked 'Old Tree' on the first edition of the OS map, formerly stood beside the well and was locally reputed to mark the grave of St Crohane. A flat-topped boulder, referred to locally as a massrock, is located 27m E of the well. It measures 1.5m x 0.45m x 0.7m high, and beside it is a recumbent slate slab on which are a number of lightly incised crosses. The well and sacred tree or bile formed the principal assembly point of the three-day pattern formerly held in this parish in honour of St Crohane (OSL; Ó Cíobháin 1984a, 23-4). This is considered by MacNeill to have been originally a Lughnasa pilgrimage-assembly (1962, 648-50), and commenced on July 29th, Oíche Chrócháin. It included a turas or pilgrimage from Kilcrohane up to Windy Gap, close to the summit of Eagles Hill, where another holy well, Tobar na Bearnan (KE098-086----), is located. En route rounds were also made at Tobercrohane well (KE106-029002-). The pattern has been in decline from the mid-nineteenth century, and since the 1940s Toberavilla has rarely been visited. Folklore collected by James Brennan, a pupil of Derryleagh School recorded the following tradition; 'There is another holy well at Code called St. Crohane's well. People go to this well every year on the 29th of July. There is a rock near the well and there is a representation of St. Crohane's back on it because it is said he stretched near this rock once. There is also a tree there and it is around the tree the people make the rounds' (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0467, Pages 257-8; https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4742095/4735499). A second story collected from Sneem School recorded the following tradition; 'According to the old people St. Crohane is the patron saint of this place. The old Church ruins in Coad are dedictated to St. Crohane. The eastern stone has a slap of stone which is cut in the form of a cross. At the end of the ruin is a holy well shaded by a huge ash tree People pay rounds here on the thirtieth of July which is his feast day. Very long ago there was a man cured there. He was blind but nowadays there are no cures effected there there as it is more for pleasure people go there' (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0468, Page 124; https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4742098/4735715/4924360) See attached photographs of Toberavilla and Turas Chrócháin, Co. Kerry, taken 1946 by Caoimhín Ó Danachair courtesy of and © National Folklore Collection, UCD. The Photographic Collection, F025.18.00003 accessible online at https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbeg/16762 and F025.18.00005 accessible online at https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbeg/24632. The above description is derived from A. O'Sullivan and J. Sheehan (compilers), 'The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of South Kerry'. Cork University Press (1996), no. 1054. 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: 12 April 2022