R. C. Chapel — Brideswell

Located at the W edge of a low-lying basin. References to this Lughnasa well date from the early 14th century (MacNeill 1962, 633-4; Anon. 1992). The well, where according to J. O'Donovan writing in the 1830s a pattern was held on 31st July (O'Flanagan 1931; 29-30), rises as a spring outside the WNW angle of a chapel or bath-house (RO048-108002-). The circular well (int. diam. 1.2m; D 2.1m) has masonry walls (Wth 0.3-0.4m; ext. H 0.6m) and the water exits at S to an outer rectangular well (dims 0.8m x 0.8m) approached by three steps and the outer well is also surrounded by a wall. The bathhouse is a roofless structure (ext. dims 6.9m NNE-SSW; 6.2m WNW-ESE; H 2.2m) with a string course and coping that was built in 1625 by the Earl of Antrim according to a plaque (RO048-108003-) (dims 0.8m x 0.6m) on the outer face of the WNW wall (Kelly 1907, 1-2; Kelly 1917-20). A pointed chamfered doorway (Wth 0.77m; H 1.7m) on the NNE wall has a stoup, and a limestone stoup (RO048-108005-) that is thought locally to have come from Cam church (RO048-099001-) is kept inside. The stream runs from the outer well through the bath-house, exiting through a flat arch in the ESE wall, and runs off to the E. Archaeological testing (06E0677) c. 50m to the S failed to produce any related material (Guinan 2009). Patterns in the 1950s involved circuits of the 17th century house (RO048-188----), a grass-covered cairn (RO048-108004-) (diam. of base 8.3m; diam. of top 3.3m; H 0.6m at W to 1.5m at E) surmounted by a chestnut tree, a glacial erratic (RO048-108006-) (dims 2.4m x 1.15m; H 0.6m) that is thought to have the imprint of the saint's knees, and a second cairn (RO048-108007-), now removed and replaced by a statue of St Bridget, c. 10m W of the bath-house. Locally it is said that bones were found when this cairn was removed. Another cairn (RO048-108008-) consisting of a kerb (ext. diam. 9m) of large stones (dims c. 0.8-1m x 0.3-0.5m; H up to 0.7m) NW-E-S surrounding a tree is just N of the 17th century house. A revived pattern is held at the end of July. (Weld 1832, 515-8) See the attached view of the well taken from the S Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 24 August 2010