St. Catherines Well

In wet marshy terrain, at the base of a steep slope (H c.2m) on the W bank of a stream which runs into the River Nore c. 130m to the SSE. According to local information there are a number of springs along the base of this slope. The medieval church (KK009-048001-) and graveyard (KK009-048003-) of Rathbeagh are located c. 140m to the NW. The OS Letters (1839) describe this as, 'a well between this Church [KK009-048001-] and the Nore called St. Catherine's well, at which a Patron was held till within the last ten years on the 2th day of June, and the 6th of December was kept a holy day in the Parish in honour of St. Catherine' (O'Flanagan ed. 1930, vol. 1, 88 (29-30)). While the area is very overgrown and generally marshy, the ground is particularly wet in the vicinity of where the well is indicated on the 1st and revised ed. of the OS 6-inch map. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 9 May 2018

Linked to St. Catherine of Alexandria, the well is traditionally associated with cures for skin ailments and female infertility. Local folklore suggests that making a pilgrimage to the well on St. Catherine’s Day (November 25) and drinking or bathing in the water while reciting prayers enhances the spiritual efficacy of the cure.