What is recorded here

Sunday Well hides at the head of a narrow Cork glen, guarded by a cracked cross slab and a taller narrowing stone. People still called it St John's Well and performed rounds there until recently, suggesting the water remained a living boundary between the ordinary and the sacred. The small stone drain channels runoff past the crosses, carrying prayers or warnings out of the hillside and into the wider world.

Set into hillside, at head of narrow glen, approached by narrow stone-faced path Surrounded by semicircular stone-built wall (H 0.8m); roofed by single slab. Stone-covered drain (Wth 0.3m) channels run off. On either side, two slabs, each inscribed with a simple Latin cross, propped upright. First stone (H 0.45m; Wth 0.38m) is cracked. Second stone (H 0.7m; Wth 0.38m) narrows towards base. O'Leary (1991, 34) mentions five crosses; states that site also known as St John's Well. According to Casey (1983, 222) '"Rounds" were performed here up to forty years ago'. 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 Images provided by and copyright of Amanda Clarke 2016-2022 https://holywellscorkandkerry.com/

Linked to St. Sunday, an early Irish saint associated with healing and protection, the well was traditionally visited on Sundays for its curative waters, particularly for ailments of the eyes and skin. A small stone-built enclosure and drainage system suggest long-term devotional use, with local tradition recounting that the water never dries up, even in drought.

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.