What is recorded here

Crude stone crosses stand beside the Well of St Brendan's Anointing on Valencia Island, overlooking the Atlantic through Emlagh Bog. They mark an old place of healing and prayer, where water and stone were believed to carry the breath of the saint. People may have knelt at the well, touched the rough arms of the crosses, and left behind prayers for the living or the dead.

The Well of St Brendan's Anointing (KE078-005001-) is located on a small rock-knoll towards the centre of Emlagh Bog, Valencia Island, and overlooks the Atlantic just 400m to N. It comprises a holy well, a cross-slab, three stone crosses and a number of miscellaneous features, including a possible leacht. Stone Crosses: (1) (KE078-005002-) This crude cross is located 33.5m E of the well at the highest point of the site (KE078-005002-). Now fixed in cement, it stands 1.4m high. The maximum width of its shaft is 0.57m, while the width across its rudimentary arms is 0.76m. The upper shaft and both arms are rounded. A rough, linear Latin cross is incised on the E face of the stone. See attached drawing taken from O'Sullivan and Sheehan 1996, Fig. 171, 271 and Fig. 5 taken from Delap 1911, 408. See attached photograph courtesy of Amanda Clarke The above description is derived from A. O'Sullivan and J. Sheehan (compilers), 'The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of South Kerry'. Cork University Press (1996), no. 939. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 30 March 2022

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