Why this matters
Linked to St. Patrick, the well is traditionally associated with healing and protection, with pilgrimages and water rituals likely observed in pre-modern times. The stone setting and historical mapping suggest a long-standing sacred or ceremonial use.
Overview
Marked 'St. Patrick's Well' on the 1835 and 1910 'OS 6-inch' maps. According to the OS Letters a station was held here. It is an almost square pool, 1.5m across, surrounded by outcrop and a stone setting. Various local legends and cures associated with it (IFC Schools MSS 933, 128-9) and it was noted that rags, medals and walking sticks were left on a bush alongside, long ago (IFC Schools MSS 665, 175). By 1966 it was no longer visited. Compiled by: Claire Breen Date of upload: 23 November 2011
Who made it and when
The saved record identifies St. Patricks Well — Chanonrock as Holy well. It does not safely name its makers or a precise construction date. The saved detailed account records: Marked 'St. Patrick's Well' on the 1835 and 1910 'OS 6-inch' maps. According to the OS Letters a station was held here. It is an almost square pool, 1.5m across, surrounded by outcrop and a stone setting. Various local legends and cures associated with it (IFC Schools MSS 933, 128-9) and it was noted that rags, medals and walking sticks were left on a bush alongside, long ago (IFC Schools MSS 665, 175). By 1966 it was no longer visited. Compiled by: Claire Breen Date of upload: 23 November 2011
How it was made and used
Its classification points to ritual, marking, defence or gathering. The saved wording does not establish the full building method, ceremonies or length of use, so those details remain open.
What was found
No safe list of excavated objects, bones, carvings or dates is supplied by the short saved record. Finds are not invented from the place type or local name.
What remains
The public record still maps St. Patricks Well — Chanonrock as Holy well. The point may mark standing remains, earthworks, a buried site or the centre of a wider area, and this first account keeps that difference visible.
Why it mattered
The place preserves physical evidence or local memory connected with holy well. Its source and exact position give later research a firm starting point without turning uncertain tradition into fact.
History checked 15 August 2026 against the named sources below.
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