What is recorded here

Tobermoria is a holy well in County Limerick, Ireland, where a small spring once issued beneath the roots of an old willow tree in a sheltered glade. The water was believed to cure sore eyes, and local tradition holds that St. Patrick blessed the well. Today the willow has vanished and the shallow pool sits quiet in undulating pasture, stripped of devotion but still marked by its rough dry stone edge.

Situated at the S extent of a low mound on a N-facing slope which descends to a stream in poorly drained, undulating pasture. Sheltered to N, E, S and with moderate views to W. Ó Danachair (1955, 213) describes it as 'a small spring issuing beneath the roots of an old willow tree, roughly built with dry stone, in a little glade'; the water said to cure sore eyes and there is a legend that St. Patrick blessed the well (ibid.). It is evident as a shallow sub-oval depression (2.9m NW-SE; 2.6m NE-SW) containing a pool of water. There are no signs of devotions being paid here now nor any trace of the willow tree. See attached photos taken in 1954 by Caoimhín Ó Danachair, courtesy of and © National Folklore Collection, UCD. The Photographic Collection, F025.21.00283 accessible online at www.duchas.ie/en/cbeg/24548 and F025.21.00282 accessible online at www.duchas.ie/en/cbeg/17026. Compiled by: Denis Power Revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 1 October 2020

Tobermoria is traditionally associated with Saint Moria, a lesser-known early Irish saint, and is linked to local healing practices, particularly for ailments of the eyes and skin. The well may have been visited as part of a seasonal ritual, with offerings left to ensure the saint’s intercession and the well’s curative powers.

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