Saint Fiachra's Well
Photo: A.-K. D. · CC0
Ritual site - holy well

Saint Fiachra's Well

Holy well in the townland of Sheastown/ Sheestown, Co. Kilkenny.

  • AccessNot confirmed
  • National MonumentNot recorded
  • 19th centuryIn the record
  • FolkloreNone recorded
  • PhotoWikimedia Commons
Sheastown, Co. Kilkenny52.62170, -7.19792
Directions Map

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

What to look for

  • Pattern day

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

On the W bank of the River Nore which lies c. 90m to the E. St Fiachra's church (KK020-050001-) and graveyard (KK020-050002-) are located c. 60m to the NW. According to Carrigan (1905, vol. 3, 221), this 'is a celebrated holy well. Public devotions were carried out here, on St. Fiachra's day (Aug. 30th), till a few years ago'.

Full archaeological record 178 words

On the W bank of the River Nore which lies c. 90m to the E. St Fiachra's church (KK020-050001-) and graveyard (KK020-050002-) are located c. 60m to the NW. According to Carrigan (1905, vol. 3, 221), this 'is a celebrated holy well. Public devotions were carried out here, on St. Fiachra's day (Aug. 30th), till a few years ago'. According to O'Kelly (1969, 183), at the well 'a Calvary was erected circa 40 years ago [c. 1930]'. It is enclosed by a stone wall and is covered, with a flat lintel over the entrance. An archaeological excavation was carried out in the immediate vicinity of the well in 1983, in advance of the laying of the Cork-Dublin gas pipeline (Cotter and Lehane 1987, 153-6). A number of cobbled surfaces and a trackway were uncovered which were designed to drain and make passable the area adjacent to the holy well (ibid. 156). These were found to date from the 18th and 19th century and were constructed to facilitate visitors to the holy well, probably particularly for the pattern (ibid.)

Archaeological Survey of Ireland, National Monuments Service (CC BY 4.0) · Compiled by Jean Farrelly · Updated 9 December 2020. It describes the site as it was when surveyed.

Folklore and traditions

More holy wells nearby

Also recorded nearby

Named sites within 5 km with only a short entry in the Archaeological Survey.

  • Maudlin CastleCastle - tower house · Gardens (Kilkenny City By., St. John'S Par.) · 4.7 km · official record
  • Mary's WellRitual site - holy well · Gardens (Kilkenny City By., St. Mary’S Par.) · 4.9 km · official record
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      Around Saint Fiachra's Well

      Other heritage nearby

      Recorded within 5 km

      Walks and trails

      • Nore Valley Walk - Kilkenny to Bennetsbridge SectionLong Distance Waymarked Way · 8.2 km · nearest point 0.2 km
      • South Kilkenny Cycle LoopRoad Cycling Trail · 43.2 km · nearest point 2.2 km
      • O'Gormans LaneWalking Trail · 4.5 km · nearest point 2.7 km

      Outdoors, towns and places to stay

      • Coill an FhaltaighForests · 7.8 km
      • JenkinstownForests · 14 km
      • Ballykeefe Nature ReserveNature reserves · 13 km
      • Kyleadohir Nature ReserveNature reserves · 20 km
      • KilkennyWalled towns · 4.9 km
      • GowranWalled towns · 9.0 km
      • Clomanatagh CastleHistoric stays · 23 km

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