St. Michaels Well

A well is marked on the 1839 and 1940 eds of the OS 6-inch map, and described in gothic lettering as St. Michael’s Well on both. It is located on a level, low-lying landscape, c. 40m SW of the perimeter of the graveyard (WX048-003002-). According to John O’Donovan writing c. 1840 the pattern was held on 29 September until it was suppressed c. 1830 (O’Flanagan 1933, vol. 1, 278-9). There is no evidence of the well now, and the location has been built over. According to Christian tradition as revealed in the Book of Revelation St. Michael the Archangel defeated the forces of evil and banished Lucifer from Heaven. Devotion to St. Michael developed in the 4th century as the leader of the army of the righteous and was widespread in Europe by the 6th century. For St. Michael see this web-page accessed on 5 December, 2013 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_(archangel) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 6 January, 2014

St. Michael’s Well is associated with St. Michael the Archangel, a popular figure in Irish holy well traditions, often linked to protection, healing, and the defeat of evil. The well’s long-standing recognition, as evidenced by its depiction on early Ordnance Survey maps, suggests a continuity of local veneration and ritual use over centuries.