Kilmainhamwood's Holy Well

In the 1940s a survey claimed there were as many as 3,000 holy wells in Ireland - more than in any other country in the world. On a visit to the little known Blessed Well near Kilmainhamwood, we made a journey back in time through myths, legends and religious practices.

If you follow the course of the river upstream from the village of Kilmainhamwood along the "Line Road" towards the Kingscourt / Kells road, you may happen upon the Blessed Well or St. Patrick's Well as it is sometimes called.

Half a mile before "Diana's Cross" the well is situated in a wooded area, hidden to the world. Grazing cattle keep watch over this little jewel in the landscape of North Meath and East Cavan.

Before delving into the myths and folklore associated with the well and indeed the Mass Rock, which is located just feet away, it is worth pondering the significance of the holy wells of Ireland.
In Irish myth, well and springs are closely associated with the "otherworld" - that parallel dimension whose inhabitants have the power to control the natural forces of this world. From sources in the "otherworld" water flows into our world to fill springs or gush forth as rivers such as the Boyne and Shannon.

These bodies of water are closely identified with the goddesses Boann and Sionann, who are thought to be part of the water's flow. Such sacred water sources are also often likened to the fruit of certain trees such as the hazelnut. Perhaps by coincidence or by the hand of a greater power the Blessed Well is situated in a small hazel glen!

It was believed drinking from these holy wells or bathing in them would bestow the power of the "otherworld" in the form of poetic inspiration, wisdom or healing. Supernatural fish, especially salmon or trout are still said to appear in a well's depths to those seeking omens for the future.
Myth dictated that well godesses could take the form of fish. Salmon were often credited with being bearers of "iomas" - the insight and wisdom that comes from a supernatural encounter, rather than the knowledge acquired through conventional study.

In pagan Ireland holy wells were visited at special times of the year; Imbolc on February 1, Bealtaiane on May 1, Lughnasa on August 1, and Samhain on Novermber 1. These dates were all significant in the Celtic year when the gates of the "otherworld" were opened. This was especially true for Samhain, when the veil between the living and the dead was believed to be at its thinnest.

Many wells consist of three elements: the well, spring or water source; a scared tree, and a hill or standing stone. These features played a part in the prescribed rituals for pilgrims who came to the sites seeking favours. These were known as "patterns" and almost always included some sort of circular walk.

The word pattern is derived from the Irish "patrun" or the English "patron". Most Irish parishes has a patron saint. On the saint's feast day the parishioners celebrated what was known as "Pattern day".
In pre-Reformation times, the festivities began with religious devotions at the Church, but this came to an end when the confiscation and or destruction of Roman Catholic churches took place in the 150 years between the 1540- and the 1690s. By 1700 the devastation was such that very few, if any churches remained under Catholic control and public religious ceremonies almost disappeared.

However, the faithful found alternative ways to celebrate their Saint’s feast day. While many of the laity paid homage at the saint's shrine or in the ruins of their local church, most devotions took place at the holy well.

In general, devotions at these holy or blessed wells began with making the "rounds". The people would around the well a certain number of times while reciting special prayers.

Part of the ritual included drinking the water and in some instances bathing in it. It was said that water from a holy or blessed well became famous for curing specific ailments. At the end of their visit, the people usually left behind a small token - some coins, a piece of cloth, which was hung up, or any other small token they happened to have with them.

These sacred well traditions, rituals, legends and customs date back hundreds of years, and were common throughout Britain long before Christianity came to Ireland, However, for Irish Catholics, the disappearance of their churches and the Penal Laws made well-gatherings an important event, especially on the feast day of their patron saint.

Without official clerical direction, Pattern Days became noted for unorthodox forms of devotion and often rowdy amusements. The clergy tried to keep matters under control and at the Synod of Tuam in 1660 it was decreed that "dancing, flute-playing, bands of music, riotous revels and other abuses in visiting wells and other holy places were forbidden."

While the clergy and the Penal Laws did everything to suppress Pattern day celebrations, it was the Great famine that caused the custom to almost die out.

The Blessed Well at Shancor fits neatly within the tradition of holy wells and their associated practices or pilgrimage and prayer as outlined. A tiny waterfall flows gently over the rocks in the stream beside the holy well, giving rise to its Irish name of An Tobar Alt as Ease (Well of the Precipice of the Waterfall).

The Blessed Well was a place of pilgrimage for centuries. People gathered on the first Sunday of every quarter of the year to recite the Stations of the Cross. Pattern day celebrations were held on the first Sunday in August and cattle were driven from neighbouring parts of East Cavan and North Meath because it was believed the well water had curative powers.

Tradition has it that Mass was celebrated at the ancient Mass Rock in the penal days. The secluded setting, half a mile from the road, made it an ideal location for this clandestine practice. It is said a large tree once grew in the centre of the holy well field and was known as the ‘watch tree’ where sentries were placed to keep watch while Mass was being celebrated.

The tradition of Pattern Day on the first Sunday in August died out in the 1880s but was revived in 1932. The following year Rev. Fr. Small P.P. had a small a small cross erected next to the well.
A surviving hand-written programme for the Pattern Day celebrations that year on Sunday August 6th, suggests a rich and varied programme of sports and entertainment, alongside the traditional religious practice of recitation of the rosary.

That week’s Meath Chronicle mentions the Pattern Day celebrations at Kilmainhamwood in the same sentence as celebrations at St. Ciaran’s Well, Carnaross, giving weight to the suggestion that it was quite an event. Pattern Day celebrations at Shancor died out again by the end of the late 1940s. It was revived again in 1983, the fiftieth anniversary of 1933 and lasted for a few years.

The Blessed Well is one of those half-forgotten places engrained in the history of North Meath and East Cavan. Rumour has it that a cave is located close to the Blessed Well, which runs all the way to Newtown, some three miles away across country, but evidence of the caves existence is hard to find. However, rumours persist and some locals are convinced of the caves existence.

Unlike many blessed or holy wells dotted around the country, the Blessed Well lies on private land some distance from the road. So if you have a mind to make a pilgrimage, bear in mind you would need the permission of the landowner, Andy Shankey.

Taken from Royal County
December 2004