Unofficial guide. Not the National Monuments Service, the OPW, Fáilte Ireland or the landowner. Disclaimer
At a glance
- TypeRitual site - holy well
Picked out from the Archaeological Survey description below.
Can you visit?
- No source says it is open to the public.Most monuments in Ireland stand on private farmland.
- Ask the landowner before crossing fields, close gates, leave the stones as you find them.Visiting responsibly
History and description
In flat marshy field, subsequently reclaimed, c. 40m of an E-W flowing stream which flows into the River Barrow, on the W edge of Gowran village. Described in the OS Namebooks (O'Donovan et al. c. 1840) as, 'Tobar bhaiste an phoill = Baptism well of the hole or pit...A holy well...said to be the best water in all Ireland: it being measured and weighed by an Englishman who pronounced it such'.
Full archaeological record 108 words
In flat marshy field, subsequently reclaimed, c. 40m of an E-W flowing stream which flows into the River Barrow, on the W edge of Gowran village. Described in the OS Namebooks (O'Donovan et al. c. 1840) as, 'Tobar bhaiste an phoill = Baptism well of the hole or pit...A holy well...said to be the best water in all Ireland: it being measured and weighed by an Englishman who pronounced it such'. According to Drennan (1965, 53) the well was used for religious purposes before the piped water supply was installed. A circular concrete wall with rounded top encloses the well, with a metal gate in the entrance gap.
Archaeological Survey of Ireland, National Monuments Service (CC BY 4.0) · Compiled by Jean Farrelly · Updated 14 December 2020. It describes the site as it was when surveyed.
More holy wells nearby
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Ritual site - holy well · Gowran · Kilkenny · 0.2 km away
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Saint Colman's Well
Ritual site - holy well · Churchclara · Kilkenny · 5.8 km away
Saint Scoheen's Well
Ritual site - holy well · Freneystown · Kilkenny · 6.8 km away
Toberboy
Ritual site - holy well · Pollagh (Gowran By.) · Kilkenny · 7.4 km away
Aughkiletaun Holy Well
Ritual site - holy well · Aughkiletaun · Kilkenny · 8.0 km away
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Around Bastionfort Well
Other heritage nearby
- Ballyshanemore CastleCastle · 0.6 km
- CIIC 32 (Ogham Stone Concept by RAS Macalister)Ogham stone · 0.7 km
- St. Mary's Church, GowranAncient church · 0.7 km
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Recorded within 5 km
- 12 castlesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 8 ancient churchesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 3 ringfortsArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 1 holy wellArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 1 ogham stoneArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 1 hillfortArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 1 monastic siteArchaeological Survey of Ireland
Walks and trails
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Outdoors, towns and places to stay
- GowranWalled towns · 0.7 km
- ThomastownWalled towns · 12 km
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