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At a glance
- TypeRitual site - holy well
- Date or period mentioned19th-century
What to look for
- Well house
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 a natural cleft in rock on a N-facing slope, at the E end of small yew grove enclosed by a stone wall (dims. c. 16m NE-SW; c. 7m NW-SE), in the grounds of Bayswell House. According to Carrigan (1905, vol. 2, 303), 'Up to sixty or seventy years ago this well was visited by crowds of pious pilgrims on the 29th of Sept. and the seven following days.
Full archaeological record 204 words
In a natural cleft in rock on a N-facing slope, at the E end of small yew grove enclosed by a stone wall (dims. c. 16m NE-SW; c. 7m NW-SE), in the grounds of Bayswell House. According to Carrigan (1905, vol. 2, 303), 'Up to sixty or seventy years ago this well was visited by crowds of pious pilgrims on the 29th of Sept. and the seven following days. The pilgrims always wound up their devotions with prayers before an effigy of the Crucifixion carved in stone, which had been fixed into the wall surrounding the well. The slab was broken several years ago, and its fragments have been lost, except one piece which Mr. Connell [the owner of Bayswell House] has reverently, but, by a misapprehension of the identity of the carving, mistakenly incorporated with an effigy, in cement, of St. Michael, which he has placed over the well'. The spring well is covered by modern brick structure with an 18th/19th-century pointed doorway of cut limestone. The largely reconstructed plaque (KK008-037001-), mentioned above, is incorporated in the stone walling surrounding the well structure and yew grove, SW of the well and depicts St. Michael flying the lands holding a flag and a book.
References
- Date of revised upload: 11 September 2018
Archaeological Survey of Ireland, National Monuments Service (CC BY 4.0) · Compiled by Jean Farrelly. It describes the site as it was when surveyed.
Folklore and traditions
More holy wells nearby
Toberpatrick
Ritual site - holy well · Borrismore · Kilkenny · 7.5 km away

Tobar na súl
Ritual site - holy well · Rathlogan · Kilkenny · 7.9 km away

Saint Elakan's Well
Ritual site - holy well · Gorteennamuck · Kilkenny · 8.0 km away

St. Monchin’s Well
Ritual site - holy well · Coolcashin · Kilkenny · 10 km away
St Patrick's Well
Ritual site - holy well · Donaghmore · Laois · 11 km away

Our Lady's Well
Ritual site - holy well · Clomantagh Lower · Kilkenny · 12 km away
Also recorded nearby
Named sites within 5 km with only a short entry in the Archaeological Survey.
- Priest's WellRitual site - holy well · Baunballinlough · 2.3 km · official record
At the edge of a valley floor, in rolling pasture. This is indicated on a Grand Jury Map as a holy well. When inspected in 1987 the well was in use as cattle pump and was capped with concrete.
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Around St Michael's Well
Other heritage nearby
- Castle PierceCastle · 1.5 km
- Bayswell ChurchAncient church · 1.6 km
- Erke ChurchAncient church · 1.9 km
- Corbally ChurchAncient church · 2.2 km
- Castletown CastleCastle · 3.0 km
- Kyle-aghraAncient church · 3.1 km
Recorded within 5 km
- 29 ringfortsArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 9 castlesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 8 ancient churchesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 2 megalithic tombsArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 2 monastic sitesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 1 standing stoneArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 1 holy wellArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 1 round towerArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 1 abbey or friaryArchaeological Survey of Ireland
Walks and trails
- Urlingford Islands Walking TrailWalking Trail · 5.9 km · nearest point 5.0 km
- Gathabawn LoopWalking Trail · 11.3 km · nearest point 9.4 km
- Gathabawn Short LoopWalking Trail · 4.1 km · nearest point 9.5 km
Outdoors, towns and places to stay
- CapponellanForests · 15 km
- Coolacurragh Wood Nature ReserveNature reserves · 12 km
- Grantstown Wood and Grantstown Lough Nature ReserveNature reserves · 13 km
- Clomanatagh CastleHistoric stays · 11 km
Other attractions nearby
- Donaghmore Famine Workhouse MuseumHistoric Houses and Castle · 11 km
Excavations nearby
- E2391 Foulkscourt AR 49, County KilkennyRoad-scheme excavation report (TII) · 4.0 km
- E2392 Foulkscourt AR 50, County KilkennyRoad-scheme excavation report (TII) · 4.1 km


