What is recorded here

St. Brigid's well in Castleknock is buried beneath a modern water pump, leaving only a blocked opening and two sandstone tablets to mark the place where living water once flowed. The tablets quote scripture about tears wiped away and thirst forever ended, turning a simple village corner into a promise of relief. People may have drawn water there in hardship, believing the church and well could ease what ordinary life cannot bear.

'St. Bridget's Well (Covered)' stands at the corner of the Chapelizod Road in Castleknock Village, 25m SSE of St Brigid's Church (DU017-008001-) and graveyard. There is a water pump on the site and a blocked opening behind it which may have been the original location of the well. There are inscribed sandstone tablets with text embedded in a brick-built recesses either side of the pump. These contain quotations from the Book of Revelations 7:14-17 and John 4:13 - 'He (Jesus) shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes' / 'Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst' (Ó Danachair 1958, 75). Compiled by: Geraldine Stout Updated by: Christine Baker Revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 17 April 2023

Linked to St. Brigid of Kildare, the well is associated with traditional healing practices and is believed to have curative properties, particularly for women's ailments. The site reflects the widespread veneration of St. Brigid in early Christian Ireland, with wells dedicated to her often serving as focal points for pilgrimage and ritual washing.

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.