St. Mans Well

Marked on the 1839 and 1940 eds of the OS 6-inch map and described in gothic lettering on both as St. Man’s Well. It is probably named after St. Munna of Taghmon (WX040-008003-), whose feastday falls on 21 October (Ó Riain 2011, 505-07), but there is no record of a pattern at this well (OSFM 1940). The well is situated in a low-lying landscape c. 5m NW of a small NE-SW stream. It is not visible now in a root crop but it is described locally as a small shallow hole. It was not venerated, but there is a local tradition that it had been located originally beside the parish church of Ishartmon (WX047-060001-), c. 480m to the N but when it was fouled by a woman washing clothes in it the well moved to Ballyboy. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 11 October, 2013

St. Man’s Well is likely associated with St. Munna of Taghmon, a 7th-century Irish saint known for his ascetic practices and healing miracles. The well may have been used for ritual washing or as a site of pilgrimage, particularly on the saint’s feast day of 21 October, in hopes of receiving spiritual or physical healing.