St. Cavans Well

Situated in the broad valley of a small S-N stream that is c. 100m to the W, and just on the W side of the embankment of the NNW-SSE Waterford to Rosslare railway line. The well is dedicated to Saint Caomhán Santleathan of Ardcavan (WX038-006001-), and according to John O’Donovan writing c. 1840 the pattern was held on June 12th, the saint’s feastday (O’Flanagan 1933, vol. 2, 87). The well is a small D-shaped depression (dims c. 1m x c. 0.5m; D 0.2m) lined by white-painted stones on the NE side and approached by two steps from the NW. The well is within a rectangular enclosure (ext. dims 5.2m NE-SW; 6.6m NW-SE) defined by an earthen bank (Wth c. 0.5m; H 0.5m) and hedge at SW and SE and a drystone wall on the other sides, with a gate at NW leading directly to the steps of the well. The well is maintained and there is a statue of a mitred bishop within the enclosure, but there are no offerings. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 20 August, 2013

St. Cavans Well is dedicated to Saint Caomhán Santleathan, a 7th-century Irish saint associated with healing and monastic foundations. The well's location near a railway embankment and stream reflects its traditional setting in a rural, spiritually significant landscape, though specific cures or rituals linked to the site are not widely documented.