St. Gehans Well

Situated at the foot of a S-facing slope. It is known as 'St Gehan's Well', but it may have been originally called 'Tobar Dé hAoine' or 'Friday's Well' (OS Name Books). This is a circular well (diam. 1.3m) defined by drystone walling and covered by a lintel. Some stones, the last remnants of a penitential cairn, have been placed on the lintel and there is an iron ringed-cross nearby. It is known locally that there was a rag-tree at one time, but this has been removed without trace. The well is at the W edge of a subcircular pond (dims. c. 15m N-S; c. 10m E-W). The pattern died out in 1919 but was resumed c. 1980, and is held on or around July 19th. The water is reputed to cure eye ailments. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Waterford' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1999). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Michael Moore. Date of upload: 25th August, 2011.

St. Gehan's Well is associated with a Christian saint whose name may derive from the Irish "Dé hAoine," meaning "God of Friday," linking the site to early Christian or pre-Christian ritual practices. The well may have been a site of pilgrimage or healing, possibly connected to fertility or protection, as was common with many holy wells in Ireland.