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Tobergal

Holy well

What is recorded here

Tobergal, the Bright Well in County Cork, cured sore eyes, teeth and fingers until people stopped making rounds decades ago. Its whitethorn tree, once heavy with votive ribbons, was cut down, and the well itself disappeared around 1966. Yet the spring still rises beneath the lost stone, keeping the old promise of clarity while the world above forgets the shape of the place that received it.
Recorded by Bowman (1934, 569) as 'Tobar Geal - Bright Well...c. four and a half ft. in diam. It had a special cure for sore eyes, teeth and fingers. Rounds have been discontinued for the past 40 years. The Whitethorn tree, for the usual votive offerings, was cut down c. 25 years ago.' Well destroyed c. 1966 but spring still rises here. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 4: North Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2000). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009
Tobergal, Carrigcleena More is associated with a cure for sore eyes, teeth, and fingers, and was historically linked to rituals involving rounds, which were discontinued around 1934. The name "Tobar Geal" suggests a connection to light or healing, and the site may have been associated with a local saint or seasonal tradition, though specific folklore remains unclear.

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What survives
Recorded monument

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