Why this matters
St. Patrick's Well is associated with the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick, and is traditionally believed to have curative properties, particularly for eye ailments and general health. The well's construction reflects early Christian or prehistoric drystone building techniques, and such sites were often centers of pilgrimage and local folklore involving healing rituals and offerings.
What is recorded here
Located on the S-facing slope of a NE-SW spur in the foothills of White Mountain. A passage with a few steps leads to St Patrick's Well, which is a corbelled and lintelled drystone walled structure (diam. 1m) with another well structure (diam. c. 1m) off it to the N. The well is often dry, but retains water in winter. According to John O’Donovan writing c. 1840 the pattern was held on March 17th until c. 1820 (O’Flanagan 1933, vol. 2, 346). There is no evidence of veneration.
Compiled by: Michael Moore
Date of upload: 26 June, 2012
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