St. Cominads Well — Ballyard

Holy Well dedicated to St. Commaneth, also known as 'Cragg Well'. Situated at the base of a W-facing slope of rising ground with a church and graveyard (TN031-010001-) to the NW. A disused holy well originally enclosed by a drystone wall and now enclosed by a modern concrete surround with broken statues on a shelf to the N of the well. Lizzie Capliss of Tooreenbrien Upper and a pupil of Lackamore National School recorded the following tradition about this holy well; 'In the parish of Newport there are two holy wells, "Tobar Geal (TN037-047----) and Cragg Well. Tobar Geal is situated two Miles East of Newport and two miles West of Lackamore School in the townsland of Derrygeen. "Cragg Well" is situated in the townsland of Cragg; it is about three miles outside Newport. The Saint of "Tobar Geal" is St. Deborah and her sister St. Commat [Commaneth] founded "Cragg Well". At all seasons of the year people visit "Tobar Geal"; a visit consist of "Five Rounds". "By a round" is meant to go "round" the well. Each person leaves something as an offering when he is leaving such as a beads, a picture, a statue, a coin, a fancy drinking vessel, a piece of ribbon, a medal, but food is never left there. People suffering from teethaches, sore eyes, headaches, stomach troubles and bone disease visit "Tobar Geal". People give "rounds" for invalids and take home some of the water and the sick will rub it to the affected part or else drink it. No trout has been seen in "Tobar Geal". The well is surrounded by whitethorns and evergreen bushes. Cragg Well What has been said about "Tobar Geal" also applies to "Cragg Well". A trout can be seen in "Cragg Well", and anybody who gets lucky enough to see the trout is sure of his request being granted.' (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0540, Page 022; https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922160/4857119) The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary. Vol. 1 - North Tipperary' compiled by Jean Farrelly and Caimin O'Brien (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 22 September 2008