What is recorded here

Toberara Well is a holy spring in a Kildare graveyard, marked by a loose stone wall and a standing holy tree. People formerly gathered there on St John's Day for a pattern, mixing prayer, drink and laughter beside dead ancestors. The water still rises in a shallow hollow, feeding both memory and mischief.

In a graveyard (KD035-003003-) c. 14m S of a ruined church (KD035-003001-). According to the OSL (Herity 2002, 70) '… there was formerly a pattern held (at the well) on the 24th of June, St John's Day …'. A natural spring lies in a hollow (diam. 10m; D 1.6m) which is defined by a loosely built dry stone wall. A holy tree (KD035-003004-) stands at the SW edge of the well. (Jackson 1979-80, 156) Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy Date of upload: 27 November 2013

Linked to St John the Baptist, the well was associated with a pattern day celebrated on 24 June, a tradition common across Ireland for this saint. Such wells were often visited for healing and blessings, particularly for ailments of the eyes and skin.

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