St. Jamess Well — Tervoe

Holy Well locally known as 'Tiobrait Well'. One of three wells of which only one has curative powers which is known as 'St. James' Well'. In 1955 Ó Danachair described the site as; 'A well about six feet in diameter and four feet deep. Elder, ash and whitethorn trees grow about it. Rounds are still made, rags and small religious objects left as offerings. The water cures sore eyes and headaches. Pebbles are used to count the rounds. Formerly a pattern was held on 25th July. Legends: The water will not boil. The well moved when profaned. A fish is seen by those about to be cured. Tervoe had a pattern on 25th July (St. James the Greater)(Ó Danachair 1955, 198, 214). The following folklore was recorded in 1938 from Tervoe National School about St. James' Well; 'It is said that the time for visiting this well is from midnight on the 24th July to midnight on the 25th. The rounds are made by people suffering from eye trouble. There was a great many people in olden times who used to visit the well. At each visit you are supposed to wash the eyes with a piece of cloth and the holy water from the well. It was the custom to leave the cloth on the bush overhead. But there are no offerings left there in thanksgiving for cures' (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0527, 367). A second tradition recorded that; 'St James's Well is rather big. There are many trees growing over and about it - an elder tree overgrown with ivy is overhanging the well and whitethorn grows round it. On the trees there are pieces of cloth hanging. They leave those pieces of cloth on the tree when cured in honour of St. James. People do not use this water for household purposes because it is said that some misfortune would happen to you. Long ago people went to that well to be cured. They also go up to the present day but not so regularly as in olden times. People visit it during the month of July. Some bathe their eyes in the water and others rub some of the leaves that are around the well to their eyes. A man was cured long ago. Pat Byrnes was his name, he is dead now. During the month of July he used to get up at 3 o'clock in the morning and do the rounds. He had turned eyes and after doing the rounds about six times day after day his eyes were cured. The prayers said are 5 Our Fathers 5 Hail Marys and five Glorias ten times each morning and every ten of those they said they used to hang a piece of cloth on the tree and now it is full of them. Many other people's eyes were cured there also' (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0527, 367-8; accessible online at www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922111/4853090/5015953). Another tradition recorded that, 'Every year on the 25th of July rounds are paid at the well. Every person who goes throws a pebble in to mark the rounds. Nobody likes to cut bushes around it. There are two other wells near it for household use. Long long ago there used to be tents at the well on the feast of St. James. It is said that one day the people of the well had a fight and that St. James separated them' (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0527, 369; accessible online at www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922111/4853092). See attached photos taken in 1954 by Caoimhín Ó Danachair, courtesy of and © National Folklore Collection, UCD. The Photographic Collection, F025.21.00260 accessible online at www.duchas.ie/en/cbeg/17017 and F025.21.00261 accessible online at www.duchas.ie/en/cbeg/31099. Compiled and revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 30 September 2020