St Anns Well

Named St Ann's well on the 1904 and 1937 OS 6-inch maps but not indicated as an antiquity. It is not indicated on the 1842 OS 6-inch map. According to local information, this well was used to provide water for St Ann's Hydropathic Establishment c. 400m to the S and is now covered with concrete. In his notes on the parish of Inniscarra compiled c. 1955, Mr D. J. O'Sullivan suggests that the name St Ann's Well is probably derived from 'Santan's Well', Santan being a disciple of Finbarr (UCC). The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 5' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2009). Date of upload: 22 December 2009

St Ann's Well is associated with St Anne, the mother of the Virgin Mary, and such wells were often sites of pilgrimage and healing in Ireland. Traditionally, these wells were believed to have curative properties, particularly for women's ailments, and were visited on St Anne's Day (July 26th) with rituals such as leaving coins or making offerings.