Toberboydan

At the S edge of a level valley floor, with ground rising to the S. Named ‘Toberboydan’ on both the first (1842) and Cassini (1920) editions of the OS 6-inch map. Named ‘Tobar Bhaighdeáin’ on Robinson’s map of the Burren (1977). This holy well comprises a shallow (D 1m) drystone-lined depression (L c. 1.5m; Wth c. 1.5m) in the ground, with a stream running off to the N, located in a boggy area (diam. c. 15m) into which water flows from dense overgrowth and out of which into a field-drain. The OS Letters (1839) recorded an active tradition of visiting this holy well and another nearby ‘for the cure of sore eyes, and for delicate children’ (Comber 1997, 13). Baighdeán is an obscure local saint who is also associated with the nearby monastic site of Kilvoydan (CL017-119001-) c. 3.2km to the SE (Kirby 2021). References: Kirby, T. 2021 Tobar Voydan, Tobar Bhaighdeáin, Commons South. The Clare Holy Wells Project. Available @ Tobar Voydan, Tobar Bhaighdeáin, Commons South - County Clare Heritage Office Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy and Conn Herriott Date of upload: 20 July 2023

Linked to Saint Buidhean (Buidhean of the Burren), Toberboydan is associated with cures for skin ailments and general wellbeing. The well's name, derived from Irish *Tobar Bhaighdeáin*, reflects its long-standing connection to early Christian tradition in the Burren region, where holy wells were often sites of pilgrimage and seasonal rituals.