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St. Kenny's [St. Canice] holy well (WM023-024---) situated in a roughly-D-shaped grove of trees and bushes on flat poorly drained land with church (WM023-025----) and graveyard (WM023-025001-) 240m to SW. Kilkenny Castle (WM023-023----) 330m to WSW and site of levelled abbey (WM023-026----) belonging to the Fratres Cruciferi / Crouched Friars 260m to SSW. The area around the well is covered in thorn bushes and trees making detailed examination of the site impossible. A large octagonal-shaped limestone baptismal font (ext. diam. 0.64m x H 0.3m) with chamfered panels (Wth 0.26m) and a flat rim (T 0.09m) lies on the ground immediately to the N of well. The circular basin of the font measures 0.46m in diameter and is 0.26m deep and has a central drain hole which was not visible at time of inspection due to presence of water and vegetation. Coins have been left in the basin as votive offerings associated with nearby holy well. The original location of the font is uncertain but it either came from the medieval church (WM023-025----) or from the abbey site (WM023-026----). The hexagonal shaped limestone base (Wth 0.55m x H 0.36m) of this font lies to the W of the well. The base of the font has 6 chamfered panels (Wth 0.26-0.21m) dressed in a similar fashion to the bowl of the font. The chamfered faces of the base are similar in size to the chamfered panels of the font. One side of the base has been left undressed and this face probably stood against the wall of the church or abbey. A stone cross (WM023-024002-) possibly the finial of the medieval church (WM023-025----) or of the abbey (WM023-026---) has been placed into the square shaped socket or mortise (dims. 0.12m x 0.12m x D 0.05m) on the upper surface of the base. Modern coins have been left as votive offerings in the base of the socket on the upper surface of the font base. Other architectural fragments of various dates have been placed around the perimeter of the well forming a series of stations.
Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien
Date of revised upload: 3 July 2015
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