Friday 4 January 2019

Megaliths and holy wells to look out for . . .

Nice. interesting.
https://www.osi.ie/blog/holy-wells/

Megalithomania is good:
http://www.megalithomania.com/show/type/Holy+Wells

This one has not many but does have some that are not on Megalithomania.
http://webgis.archaeology.ie/historicenvironment/


My list . . . sites near Ashgrove and in Dublin . . .

St Anne's Holy Well near Near Bohernabreena reservoir.
http://www.megalithomania.com/show/site/1350/st_annes_well_holy_well.htm
http://www.megalithomania.com/show/site/1349/st_annes_church.htm
https://www.google.com/maps/place/53%C2%B014'00.6%22N+6%C2%B020'56.7%22W/@53.2340235,-6.3483881,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d53.2334889!4d-6.3490694

It is also worth making the effort for as the site is very unspoilt. The well lies beneath the roots of a large ash tree and is almost invisible until you are right by it. Look for the small caged figurine of St. Anne and a worn sign on the tree trunk.

Underneath the tree the well is protected by an arched stone-built roof. I was expecting to see a rag-tree over the well, but there are no offerings. A mug hangs on a bush next to the well so that you can 'atek the waters', but I don't know what properties they may have.

The tree and well are situated in the NW corner of a very boggy, undulating field on a west facing slope.

http://www.megalithicireland.com/St%20Colmcille's%20Well,%20Dublin.html
Oldcourt, Tallaght
http://www.megalithomania.com/show/site/827/st_colmcilles_well_holy_well.htm
Woodtown
"What a strange place. A very well tended spot that is obviously still attended. Above the well and possible (very worn) bullaun is a life sized statue (presumably of St. Colmcille)."

"The well is signposted and a good path leads to it. From the sign it would appear that patterns may still be held here on June 9th each year. In the field next to the well, just 75m away is a modern cross, but the significance of this is not mentioned anywhere."

https://www.google.com/maps/place/St.+Colmcille's+Well/@53.2685971,-6.3220587,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x48670bf35f1c8a29:0x8a79ea03d058d9d0!8m2!3d53.2679513!4d-6.3273592?authuser=1

just over from Rockbrook



http://webgis.archaeology.ie/historicenvironment/
In Larch Hill, the dolmen, ice-house and . . to the south east on farm in fields a ring-fort outside grounds of Larch Hill. And Patrick's well towards Tibradden.

Class: Megalithic tomb - portal tomb
Townland: KILMASHOGUE
Scheduled for inclusion in the next revision of the RMP: Yes
Description: Situated on the grounds of Larch Hill on gently sloping pasture near the valley bottom W of Kilmashogue Mountain. A megalithic tomb in a collapsed condition with a ruined chamber facing uphill to the E. One of the portal stones, almost square in section, still stands (H 2.5m). The collapsed roofstone covers the chamber (L 3.8m; Wth 2.65m; D 0.7m). There are a number of large collapsed stones lying close to these structural stones. Borlase (1897, 2, 394-5) describes a circle of stones which is not apparent today (Turner 1983, 6-7; Anon.1914, 225-6; Price 1940, 124).

Date: 1844 - 1909
Original Use: icehouse

Class: Ringfort - cashel
Townland: KILMASHOGUE
Scheduled for inclusion in the next revision of the RMP: Yes
Description: Located on a steep W-facing slope on ground that falls away to a stream. The site comprises a horseshoe-shaped enclosure (int. diam.24m) which opens onto the E. The enclosing wall is formed by an inner and outer line of large stones retaining a rubble core (Wth 2-2.5m; H 0.9m). Entered through a gap in the NNW which may be an original feature.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/53%C2%B014'52.3%22N+6%C2%B016'32.0%22W/@53.247866,-6.2760922,168m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m22!1m15!4m14!1m4!2m2!1d-6.247396!2d53.3438965!4e1!1m3!2m2!1d-6.2755663!2d53.2478888!1m3!2m2!1d-6.2755797!2d53.2478696!3e2!3m5!1s0x0:0x0!7e2!8m2!3d53.2478664!4d-6.2755449?authuser=1
Looks like it is mostly cleared, can see it on satellite.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Patrick's+Well/@53.2502769,-6.2848632,1342m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m9!1m3!11m2!2s1gC5wYRxsXjl2SpFx2PdYhXGMm7A!3e2!3m4!1s0x48670a6a13749ed1:0x2b1f311e25dc557e!8m2!3d53.2461276!4d-6.2790754?authuser=1



CRUAGH cemetary - watchtower, font and a disappeared inscribed stone 
http://webgis.archaeology.ie/historicenvironment/
Class: Watchtower
Townland: CRUAGH
Scheduled for inclusion in the next revision of the RMP: Yes
Description: Situated in a graveyard (DU025-003005-) on a steep grass-covered knoll, off the Pine Forest Road. A watchtower comprised of a short cylindrical tower (DU025:003003-) (ext diam 3.2m). This rises to two storeys with a parapet level marked by an offset. It is built of roughly coursed granite masonry. There is a lintelled doorway (blocked) in the N. The interior is lit by narrow, square-headed opes.
Within the graveyard are the remains of the church (DU023-003001-) and of the remains of a roughly square granite trough (DU025:003002-). In the 19th century a Rathdown type graveslab (DU025:003004-) showing concentric circles, was discovered here but it has since disappeared (O'Reilly 1901, 184-155; Crawford 1913, 167; OhEalidhe 1957, 86).

https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2408113/cruagh-cemetery
"There is a small stone tower on higher ground in the centre of the cemetery. This is believed to have been built from the stone of an old church, and was created as a watchtower to prevent the activities of the "Resurrectionist Bodysnatchers"."
 good photos
 some more good photos
https://roaringwaterjournal.com/tag/cruagh-cemetery/


Rockbrook Mill - Reg. No. 11221009
Date: 1810 - 1830
Original Use: mill (water)

The Mews Building - Reg. No. 11221008
Date: 1750 - 1780
Original Use: stables

Rockbrook Park School - Reg. No. 11221007
Date: 1760 - 1780
Original Use: country house

Tigh Ban - Reg. No. 11221010
Date: 1800 - 1820
Original Use: house

Doherty's - Reg. No. 11221022
Date: 1830 - 1860
Original Use: public house
In Use as: public house
WAYHEYYYY and the pub, the merry ploughboy ! Historical!
 google street view https://www.mpbpub.com/

nearby:
http://www.megalithomania.com/show/site/20/rockbrook_stone_pair.htm


At Taylorsgrange by Marlay park the South-East corner.
http://webgis.archaeology.ie/historicenvironment/
Class: Ritual site - holy well
Townland: TAYLORSGRANGE
Scheduled for inclusion in the next revision of the RMP: Yes
Description: This enclosed spring well is located on a N facing slope in the grounds of St. Columba's College. A beehive-shaped structure of stone with a brick faced addition covers the well. Access to the well is blocked and the water is pumped to an outside trough (Healy 1975, 1-19).

http://www.megalithomania.com/show/site/164/brehons_chair_portal_tomb.htm
"It now sits in the middle of a play area on a very new housing estate."
Class: Megalithic tomb - portal tomb
Townland: TAYLORSGRANGE
Scheduled for inclusion in the next revision of the RMP: Yes
Description: Located in gently sloping pasture, W of the River Dargle. Three tall granite orthostats survive forming three sides of a chamber which opens to the SSE (H 2.7m; Wth 2.35m; D 2.3m). The E portal-stone leans on the doorstone. A fourth stone had been broken up c. 1876 (Ó Nualláin 1983, 82, 96; Borlase 1897, 2, 393-4). Excavations undertaken between 1984 and 1987 revealed an oval-shaped cairn and concentrations of charcoal and cremated bone associated with the orthostats. A secondary pit burial in the cairn contained an inverted Food Vessel accompanying a cremation (DU022-033002-). N of the orthostats were a series of pits and post-holes and a linear trench, which produced a Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age stone and pottery assemblage (DU022-033003-). A bowl furnance dating to the Iron Age was also revealed in this area (Keeley 1986, 18; 1987, 14-15; 1989-90, 74). Monitoring of groundworks in the same field as 'The Brehon's produced a sherd of coarseware pottery. The fill was burnt, and it is possible that some burning did occur within the pit (Reid 2000, 35).

Class: Church
Townland: TAYLORSGRANGE
Scheduled for inclusion in the next revision of the RMP: Yes
Description: Shown as 'old Tower' on the OS 1843 6-inch map. D'Alton (1838, 790) describes a small ruin of a tower with detached walls adjacent which he believed to be the chapel of Grange. Joyce writes that it was a square tower or watch tower, entered by a pointed arched door. There are no visible remains above ground. (O Conbhui 1963, 64).

Over through St Columba's college and at Kilmashogue lane there are marked gates/railings, a water pump and across the road a water mill.
Date: 1740 - 1837
Original Use: gates/railings/walls
Date: 1800 - 1837
Original Use: mill (water)


https://www.duchas.ie/en/src?q=blessed+well&t=CbesTranscript&p=2&ct=BAC
https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4428236/4387487
The Ticknock Well
There is a holy well on our land. It is said that It is a blessed well When my father was young people used to come And bathe their eyes at it It was supposed to cure sore eyes. people tied a piece of rag on the bush beside it when they came. There are several big stones around it The one over it has carving on it. My grandfather did it. We are known as the "well" Mulligan because there are other families of Mulligan lived in Ticknock. We always had the Well farm.
WHERE ?

The Three Rocks
It is said that Finn Mac Cool once had a competition in stone throwing with a Scotch giant at Wexford. The Giant threw them to the Scalp and Finn to the Two Rock and Three Rocks.
Finally he threw a good big one to Howth and the Giant gave in, This is of course a fairy story

The Soldiers' Cave
On the north-western side of the Three Rocks is a hole or cave in Fulhan's glen.
It was said that when flogging was in the army a soldier to avoid it came out there and died. His body was found and since then it has that name. This cave was also used as a dump and hiding place after 1916.


http://www.bureauofmilitaryhistory.ie/reels/bmh/BMH.WS1768.pdf#page=33
There was a big dump beside a holy well on the lands of Con Mulligan, Ticknock. This was known to Con and he decided to join the British Army. When this information reached us, Con was gone some time and there was a danger that he might give the dump away. Men were rounded up to shift the dump across the mountain to the home of Jack Courtney who lived near the top of the mountain over Kellystown, ...
http://www.bureauofmilitaryhistory.ie/reels/bmh/BMH.WS1043.pdf#page=41
Strangely enough, the evening of Rossa's funeral saw the
commencement of one of a series of Volunteer Training Camps at
Ticknock in the Dublin
Up to this Camp, uniformed and laden with equipment,
trekked a number of tired Volunteers after the graveside
ceremony at Glasnevin, and this number included at least five
or six Fingallians. The camp was in charge of (Ginger)
afterwards Colonel J.J. O'Connell, assisted by Eamair O'Duffy
II. This Camp had in fact been in operation for some
weeks previous to Rossa's funeral and was attended
by different batches of Volunteer officers each
week.
and J.J. Burke, who acted as Camp Quartermaster. There for a
week we learned all Ginger could teach us of minor tactics
and military organisation.
Names of the Fingal men in Ticknock Camp.
Ned Rooney tusk
Dick Coleman Swords
Joe Taylor Swords
James Rooney Lusk
Jos. V. Lawless Swords
http://www.bureauofmilitaryhistory.ie/bmhsearch/search.jsp?querystr=ticknock
... by then in Ticknock, Glencullen, Barnacullia, Kilternan, and a few good men in Enniskerry. Ticknoàk had to be treated as a separate unit as there was a very old feud going back 50 years or more between Ticknock ... Was! There was a decided pull against me, particularly in Ticknock. They carried out my orders but it was evident ...
http://www.bureauofmilitaryhistory.ie/reels/bmh/BMH.WS1768.pdf#page=33
A forge was dug out
on the side of the mountain between Mulligan's and Brennan's
on the Ticknock road, and a bellows installed. The
mountain men were all stone cutters and forge work was
second nature to them. Jack Courtney, his brother, Jim,
Peter Little and Jack Mulligan were the blacksmiths
and they set to work on the pikes. What a sight:
stripped to waist, red hot steel, red glow of the furnace,
the music of the anvil in the stillness of the night.
The four big mountain men forged the pike heads
while others stood by to put an edge on them. I had
sections by then in Ticknock, Glencullen, Barnacullia,
Kilternan, and a few good men in Enniskerry. Ticknoàk
had to be treated as a separate unit as there was a very
old feud going back 50 years or more between Ticknock
and Barnacullia. I laughed at this and insisted that
the two sections should come together as a half company
Being young and an officer, I was going to put an end
to this feud. How green I Was!
There was a decided pull against me, particularly
in Ticknock. They carried out my orders but it was
evident that they did not want me. I was an outsider.
Barnacullia had no time for a city man; anyhow, I was too
friendly with Ticknock! It was difficult to carry on.
Glencullen was tdifferent in every way, much more friendly
and I was accepted from the start.

I was accepted as a result of an incident in
Glencullen. The four sections had been out all night on
a manoeuvre which ended about dawn in the village of
Glencullen. We had a drum up on the side of the road;
fires lighted and tea in billy-cans all over the place.
I was sitting on the ditch with some Glencullen men
with my billy-can between my knees when it was hit with a
sod and overturned. I let it pass until it happened a
second time, when I said that if it happened again
the man who fired the sod would regret it. Dead silence
and I went on with my tea. The Ticknock men were together
and in a short while, Jack Courtney, the toughest of the
lot, turned and tired a sod, upsetting the billy-can.
I had a Colt .45 revolver by my. side. I picked it up
and fired, hitting the bank between Courtney's legs
and put his billy-can out of action. That finished the
sod firing. The meal over, we marched back to
Sandyford in time for first Mass and the company was then
dismissed. The following night I was at the forge in
Ticknock. Courtney was there as usual, working hard,
no comments on the Glencullen affair. Some days later
I was invited to a wedding in Barnacullia at which I met
Father O'Rourke. He told me I was no longer an outsider.
I was one of them. He had heard all about the Glenoullen
cockshot and was convinced I was accepted as a result of it.
Yes, I was one of them, lived with them, fought and bled
with them, and proud to look upon Jack Courtney as one of my
greatest friends to-day. All honour to the Mountainy Men.

The path from the Holy Well in Ticknock over the mountain to Courtney's was as well known to us as a garden path. Hardly. a week passed without a trip across the fields, over the river and up the steep ridge to the house. There was a very dark night when Chad and myself had to make this trip. All went well until we reached the second field, and out of it we could not get. Everywhere we, went there was obstruction of some sort, a deep ditch, strong hedge or a wall, but no sign of the gap we had used so often. We, decided we had got lost on the way and were in. the wrong field. We sat down to eat some sandwiches, Chad. pointing out the lights of the city below, giving me some idea as to where his girl-friend lived (May Kelly of the G.P.O. Garrison). The meal over, we started along the path, through the gap and over the hill to Courtney's, nothing to hinder us. We thought nothing of this! at the time, we found our way. I mentioned this to my mother and some of the older locals a long time after, and got the same reply from all of them: "You had disturbed the Good People (meaning Fairies) and by sitting down you heft broken the spell and your way was clear". There is no doubt we were in the right field but out of it we could not get.

Class: Ringfort - unclassified
Townland: TIKNOCK
Scheduled for inclusion in the next revision of the RMP: Yes
Description: Situated in upland pasture. Marked on the 1843 OS 6-inch map as a roughly circular enclosure. According to Healy (1975, 1-19) it had a level interior (diam. c. 26m). The area is forested. Not visible at ground level.
maybe https://www.google.com/maps/place/53°15'04.0"N+6°14'52.4"W/@53.250502,-6.2479758,352m
kind of . . . opposite Hanlon's lane, back down path from start of the Metro-1 MTB run
A rifle range is marked on map, on the hill above to left of shed at top of MTB trail.
Part of the volunteers training camp originally ?

? ~ 400m South of Motorway ~ 200m in from ticknock road ~ somewhere here:
on overgrown just to W of track, to NW of field, looks like is under power lines
track gated off.
maybe access from this gate higher up hill under pylon. follow power lines across fields?
Class: Ritual site - holy well
Townland: TIKNOCK
Scheduled for inclusion in the next revision of the RMP: Yes
Description: A roadside spring enclosed by a railing. Known as 'Grumleys' Well. It was identified in the 1950's, when carvings of a cross, two chalices and IHS were observed on the covering slab (Ó Danachair 1958, 84). It is overgrown.

http://webgis.archaeology.ie/historicenvironment/
Up from top of Slate cabin lane on right. Woodside road. 4th house on right ?
Class: Well
Townland: BARNACULLIA
Scheduled for inclusion in the next revision of the RMP: Yes
Description: A lintelled passage in the middle of a field forms the approach to a stone covered well known as O'Grady's Well (NMI:1962). Thought to be medieval in date.

? beside Keith's family's farmhouse ?
Class: House - 16th/17th century
Townland: WOODSIDE
Scheduled for inclusion in the next revision of the RMP: Yes
Description: The original house at Woodside is likely to date from the 1690's (Rob Goodbody Pers coms). It had the front façade replaced in the 1890's but the original house survives to the rear.

In Stepaside, Kilgobbin church, cross, graveyard * 2 and holy wells:

Class: Ritual site - holy well
Townland: JAMESTOWN (Rathdown By.)
Scheduled for inclusion in the next revision of the RMP: Yes
Description: The site is located on a gentle NE facing slope. This is a small spring well in a private garden. A statue of St. Patrick is in a niche over the well. Still venerated on St. Patrick's day (Ó Danachair 1958, 84).

and by Jamestown, another graveyard, church, well, cross, tree rings nearby now removed:

Class: Ritual site - holy well
Townland: KILGOBBIN
Scheduled for inclusion in the next revision of the RMP: Yes
Description: This site is located in a flat area, which has been heavily landscape due to its location within Stepaside Golf Course. This is a natural spring well, dried up which marked by a setting and granite boulders. It lies in the middle of an old laneway defined on either side by a boundary ditch. The holy well had its pattern day on May 1st, the feast day of St. James (Goodbody 1993, 10). A cross stands beside the well (DU026-004004-).

Class: Cross
Townland: KILGOBBIN
Scheduled for inclusion in the next revision of the RMP: Yes
Description: This cross is located in a level area, which has been heavily landscape due to its location within Stepaside Golf Course. The cross stands in a disused laneway and marks the position of a holy well associated with St. James (DU026-004003-). This is a low stunted, granite cross with slightly projecting arms (dims. H 1.22m, Wth 0.61m). The SW face of the cross depicts a sheela-na-gig type figure, possibly seated with head sunk on it's shoulders (Guest 1936, 116, 123). This carving is listed by the National Museum of Ireland, as an exhibitionist figure that has been mistakenly identified as a sheela-na-gig (Cherry 1992, 10). The figure has been recorded by McMahon and Roberts as a sheela-na-gig (McMahon and Roberts 2001, 149). Described by Freitag as a ‘sheela carved in high relief on E face. Heavy round figure, with head set low between shoulders and slightly towards left; no ears; facial features and navel indicated. Arms in front of body; hands joined over pudenda represented, or covered by worn square object’ (Freitag 2004, 142). There is a circular moulding in high relief on the NE face.

There are no visible traces of the early church site associated with St. Caoin at Jamestown. It formerly lay close to a levelled area identified as a burial ground SW of the cross (DU026-004004-; Turner 1983, 64; Goodbody 1993, 10). 



https://www.holywell.seomraranga.com/holywellsireland.htm#CORK

CORK
bullet St. Olan's Well - Aghbullogue Parish
bullet Tubrid Holy Well - Millstreet
bullet Ballinspittle
bullet Inchigeela
bullet Sunday's Well and Mary's Well - Walshestown
bullet St. Finbar's Well, Gougane Barra
bullet St. Bartholomew's Well, Cork City
bullet St. Brigid's Well, Castlemagner
bullet St. Brigid's Well, Mountbrigid, Buttevant
bullet St. Laichteen's Well, Blarney
bullet All Saints Well, Blarney
bullet Tobar an Ratha Bháin, Aghinagh Parish
bullet Sunday's Well, Clonmeen Parish, Banteer
bullet St. Fursey's Well, Clonmeen Parish, Banteer
bullet Ronogue's Well
bullet St. John's Well, Kilcorney
bullet St. Gobnait's Well (St. Abbey), Ballyvourney (Baile Mhuirne) - Feast Day February 11th
bullet St. Fanahan's Well, Mitchelstown
bullet Skour Well, Highfield, Creagh

https://www.holywell.seomraranga.com/holywellsireland.htm#DUBLIN

DUBLIN
bullet St. Brigid's Well, Balrothery
bullet Lady's Well, Mulhuddart
bullet St. Patrick's Well, Nassau Street (in the grounds of Trinity College)
bullet Tobar Caillin, Rush
bullet St. Mochuda's Well, Bunnow
bullet Tobar MacLarney, Carrickhill, Portmarnock
bullet Tobernea, Newtown, Blackrock
bullet Chink Well, Portrane
bullet Gregan's Well, Garristown
bullet St. Movee's Well, Grange
bullet St. Senan's Well, Slade
bullet St. Catherine's Well, Drumcondra
bullet Lady Well, Tyrellstown
bullet St. Begnet's Well, Dalkey Island
bullet Jacob's Well, Monkstown
bullet St. Fintan's Well, Sutton
bullet St. Donogh's Well, Upper Kilbarrack
bullet St. Brigid's Well, Castleknock Village
bullet St. Colmcille's Well, Ballycullen Road, Tallaght - The widely known Shrine and Well of St. Columcille at Ballycullen lies off the Old Ballycullen Road within the boundary of St. Annes parish. The shrine was set up through the efforts of Fr. Philip Doyle and Fr. Malachy Hughes both of the Augustinian order. The project came about when Fr. Doyle noticed that the local postman had a habit of disappearing into a field close by whilst on his rounds. Subsequently Fr Doyle learned that there was a well situated in this field which was venerated locally in the name of St. Columcille.  It was discovered that the postman Pat Murray, never passed the place without dropping in to say a prayer at the well and to take a drink from its waters, doing what his father and grandfather had done before him, and in doing so following the same custom of the people in the district. According to local history, St Columcille rested here after a long walk from Glasnevin. It was believed that he quenched his thirst from the sparkling spring and left a blessing on it and all who might come to drink from it thereafter. In June 1922 the well and shrine were formally blessed and the shrine became more widely known and the number of pilgrims increased. A tree guarded gateway admits the pilgrim who must then cross the small footbridge spanning the stream curving down past the shrine. Steps mounts to the small plateau and the eye is drawing to the white statue of the saint, bearing  the traditional staff and satchel and at his sandaled feet the well glints in the sunlight.
bullet St. Marnock's Well, Kilmarnock
bullet St. Sylvester's Well, Malahide

FINGALLIAN HOLY WELLS
(These are wells which have been identified by Petra Skyvova, 2005 - see Bibliography)
bullet Graham's Well, Balbriggan
bullet Lady Well, Balcunnin
bullet St. Bridget's Well, Baldurgan
bullet St. Doulagh's Well, Balgriffin
bullet St. Catherine's Well, Balgriffin
bullet Biddy Boughy's Well, Balrothery
bullet St. Bretsha's Well, Ballyboghill (Ballyboughal)
bullet Bridetree Well (St. Bridget's Well), Lusk
bullet Holy Well, Broadmeadow, Swords
bullet St. Mochuda's Well, Burrow, Portrane
bullet The Caveen Well, Abbotstown, Castleknock
bullet St. Bridget's Well, Castleknock Village
bullet Lady's Well, Cloghran
bullet St. Werburgh's Well, Crowcastle, Swords
bullet Tolan's Well, Courtlough, Balrothery
bullet Rag Well, Diswellstown, Castleknock


https://geohive.ie/gallery.html#gallery
Monuments to visit:
http://dahg.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapJournal/index.html?appid=e50543733c514fbf892f7639775c952e
Not many, Kilmashogue, Tully church.


a map of some wells:
http://irelandssacredwater.com/holy-wells-in-ireland-map.html

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