St Marys Well

In pasture, on gentle slope beside stream. Concrete basin used as drinking trough for animals. According to O'Leary (1919, 84) '...as no votive offerings are to be seen, apparently "rounds" are no longer made'. O Murchadha (1967, 16) identifies this well as St. Brigid's and St. Mary's as the holy well (CO099-027---) nearby to NW. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 2: East and South Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1994). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009

St Mary's Well in Crosshaven is associated with the veneration of the Virgin Mary and was historically a site of pilgrimage and ritual "rounds," though these practices have since declined. The well's location beside a stream and its repurposing as an animal trough suggest a shift from sacred to secular use over time.