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Ritual site - holy well

Bride's Well

Holy well in Calgath, County Meath.

  • AccessNot confirmed
  • National MonumentNot recorded
  • 19th centuryIn the record
  • Folklore1 quote
  • PhotoWanted
Calgath, Co. Meath53.42515, -6.65754
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Unofficial guide. Not the National Monuments Service, the OPW, Fáilte Ireland or the landowner. Disclaimer

At a glance

  • TypeRitual site - holy well
  • Date or period mentioned19th century
  • Recorded sizediameter 0.85m; max. D 1.75m

What to look for

  • Steps down

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
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History and description

Situated on a rise of a gentle S-facing slope at the centre of the mound (ME049-014----). The well is known as St Bride’s Well and it was revered in the 19th century when it was described as having a diameter of 12 feet (c. 3.75m) (Cogan 1862-70, 2, 361).

Full archaeological record 148 words

Situated on a rise of a gentle S-facing slope at the centre of the mound (ME049-014----). The well is known as St Bride’s Well and it was revered in the 19th century when it was described as having a diameter of 12 feet (c. 3.75m) (Cogan 1862-70, 2, 361). It was a small natural spring (diam. c. 1m) at the base of the stump of an ash tree in 1969 (SMR file) but is has been conserved in 2000 and is now a stone-lined well (diam. 0.85m; max. D 1.75m) with water approached by a path and steps from the N while the mound is less prominent. The well is surrounded by a paved path (Wth c. 1.5m) and within an enclosure (diam c. 5m) defined by a hedge and a picket fence, and there are two young trees outside the enclosure, one with rags. (French 2012, 33-4)

Archaeological Survey of Ireland, National Monuments Service (CC BY 4.0) · Compiled by Michael Moore · Updated 11 September, 2015. It describes the site as it was when surveyed.

Folklore and traditions

The well is surrounded by a paved path (Wth c. 1.5m) and within an enclosure (diam c. 5m) defined by a hedge and a picket fence, and there are two young trees outside the enclosure, one with rags.
As recorded by the Archaeological Survey · a tradition, not a fact
Offerings and rag treesSt Brigid

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      Around Bride's Well

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