Brides Well — Killarecastle

Holy well dedicated to St. Brigid, marked on OS 6-inch map as ‘Bride’s Well’. Medieval church ruins (WM024-054001-) known locally as 'Temple Brigid' or 'St. Brigid's Church' (Woods 1907, 248-9) located 10m to W, possible ecclesiastical building (WM024-054003-) 30m to SW. Nearby ringfort (WM024-049001-), field system (WM024-049002-), and site of stone castle (WM024-049003-) in field 150m N of well. Anglo-Norman motte and bailey castle (WM024-053---) 210m to E and Killare Church (WM024-057----) 290m to SE. Area of marsh land located immediately NE of holy well appears to have been a mill-pond for the Corn Mill located 470m to the NE. This mill-pond is depicted on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map. This holy well appears to have been one of three holy wells (WM024-054004-; WM024-054005-) in this townland. Annotated 'Well' and shown standing beside a 'Ch. Ruin' on an estate map dating from 1828 (NLI, MS 21 F. 48 (024) ). Present remains consist of a large pool of water enclosed by low circular stone wall with statue of St. Brigid dating from 1929 standing inside stone canopy on N side overlooking steps leading down to well. On NE side of the pool of water there is an opening or water outlet which feeds into the mill-pond to the NE. A large tree is located beside statue of St. Brigid. Stone steps on W side lead down to the water of the well. Votive offerings have been deposited at the feet of the statue standing inside this stone canopy. Architectural fragments including the chamfered jamb stones of the church window have been reused as pillar stones in the landscaped surroundings of the holy well, fragment of a late medieval ogee-headed window has also been reused in the surrounding landscaping. Remains of a circular-shaped rotary quernstone/millstone has been incorporated into the rockery located at the base of the tree to the W of the holy well. Described in 1837 as a ‘ruin (WM024-054001-) of very great antiquity, with a well dedicated to St. Bridget’ (Lewis 1837, 126). In the late 19th century the site was described as ‘St. Bridget’s Well (WM024-054002-) is still pointed out, shaded by an ash tree, and is still an object of reverence’ (Cogan 1867, 494). The Annals of Westmeath (Woods 1907, 248) recorded that its ‘principal attraction is St. Bridget’s Well, which is constantly visited by pious pilgrims-sometimes from remote parts of the country’. According to Colgan, ‘there were three churches at Killare, the first dedicated to St. Aedh was parochial (WM024-057----), the next was called Temple Brigid (WM024-054001-), and the third the Court of St. Brigid (WM024-054003-)’ (Woods 1907, 249). Colgan also recorded that ‘there was also three fountains or wells, the water of which uniting miraculously together turned a neighbouring mill. One of the wells was dedicated to St. Aedh, the second to St. Brigid, and the third very probably to St. Conran [Cuman]’ (ibid.). According to Colgan one of these wells was called 'Tobur na b-fear' or the 'Men's Well' (Plummer 1910, xvii). Monument recorded by the Archaeological Survey of Ireland in 1976 and described as following; ‘The well is directly to E of the church (WM024-054001-). It is wide and deep with a stone built (modern) surround built in a circular manner. Large ash tree overhanging well’ (SMR File 20/04/1976). Compiled by: Caimin O’Brien Date of upload: 18 July 2014 This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 4/1986).