Blessed with holy wells
IT’S almost forgotten but there were three holy wells in Wexford town, all now closed over. One was called, St. Peter’s, and was located at the junction of Carrigeen St. and the Old Pound, but by 1840 this well was switched to domestic supply, at that it automatically lost its status as a holy well. St. Peters Square took its name from this well where it was located is unknown today.
The second was St. Mary Magdalene’s in Maudlintown, it was the focus of a pilgrimage, or patron on July 22, but early in the 1800’s, following scenes of revelry, it was banned by the clergy.
Seemingly, after patrons (or ‘patterns’) a party atmosphere developed, with music, singing and dancing. There was little other entertainment in that era. Such was the clout of the clergy than the ban stuck, and veneration of that well declined. It’s near forgotten today except for the existence of Magdalene’s Terrace, probably near the site of the healing well
This habit of banning gatherings at holy wells was repeated all over county Wexford and was probably a significant factor in the decline of interest in holy wells, though there were other negative inputs including pollution. Soiled wells went into dereliction.
The third well was located at Kerlogue. It was called St James’s , near an old Friary, long vanished. This well attracted believers over the centuries, but by 1820, interest waned.
There have been references to another holy well in a church that stood on the site of St. Iberius church, long ago.
In a long gone era, Wexford town people walked out to patrons at wells in the country, some in their bare feet. There are wells in Rathaspeck, Killurin, Castlebridge, Taghmon, Blackwater, Ardcavan, and many more that attracted pilgrims. Rathaspeck has a curiously named, Dutchman’s well.
There are even reports of people walking bare foot the six miles to Lady’s Island, and back. While bare feet sounds shocking today, quite a chunk of the population in other times did not have shoes, but the numbers walking out to these patrons was probably quite small.
The attraction of wells, which some describe as ‘well worship’, predates Christianity, going back to Aryan tribes from Eastern countries who migrated west.
Eventually , well worship reached Europe, and was taken up by the pagan religions of Ireland. It’s argued that there was a cult of sun veneration in south east Wexford, with female Druids living at Lady’s Island, to which they gave their name.
The Druids performed rituals at Carnsore Point, and at Ballytrent. Wells were part of their heritage, and all this was quickly lassoed by the birthing Christianity, the latter arguing that Lady’s Island is called after the Mother of Christ.
That is the interpretation of some modern historians.
Monks built their churches adjoining wells, for their own water, and to have enough to baptise.
In Penal times, with Mass outlawed, wells became a new focal point, and near them, clandestine Masses were celebrated.
The Druids, sun followers, developed a ritual for well worship, Pilgrims walked slowly clockwise around the well, following the movement of the sun, Christianity took all this into its new creed, adding the names of its saints to various wells.
Christians followed the clockwise formula, circling the well three times, praying
meanwhile to the saint, before splashing water on their face and hands and blessing themselves.
The pilgrim then makes a request, usually for a cure. That ritual, devised centuries ago, continues largely unchanged today.
Bushes near the well were adorned with ‘votive offerings’ often a piece of clothing, signifying that the pilgrims wished to pass his illness, via the cloth, to the saint.
Some wells are surrounded by items such as crutches and walking sticks donated by those allegedly cured. Folklore suggest that stealing such an item involved a risk that the cured disease would reappear and infect the thief.
Animals were unwelcome at holy wells, and if an animal was cured at a holy well folklore suggested its disease would transfer to its owner.
Kilnahue hosted a lengthy seven-day patron at its Tobar Chriost, with food stalls, music, singing, and dancing. It ended in 1820 and it is unexplained how it grew into a festive week.
Not all patrons went smoothly: one in Brideswell ended in a desecrating riot.
However, it was not the clergy, irate farmers, or rioters, who killed off holy wells, but surely the supply of piped rural water in the last century.
County Wexford has a vast number of holy wells, 120 plus, with many more lost. Interest in these wells varies, and the birth of websites dedicated to these wells, has rekindled well talk. Some of these web sites list Wexford churches or their ruins, alphabetically, and crucially detail well locations.
One such excellent free website is from-ireland.net and the section, Medieval Churches County Wexford.
There are many holy wells within easy reach of Wexford town: Blackwater and Taghmon have clusters of such wells, and enthusiastic local people keen to talk about them. St Eusebius’s well in Archandrisk, is near Castlebridge . St. Briocs well, said to cure eye ailments, is in Rosslare Strand, on the Burrow, and not too far away is St. Michaels cemetery, with its holy well.
One of the better known wells is St. David’s near Oylegate. A farmer filled it in around 1840, but it was reinstated in 1910, and soon there were reports of cures at this well, mainly of skin diseases.
It attracted train pilgrims from Dublin. Less than 100 now attend a ceremony at this well on St. Davids Day, March 1; years ago this event attracted 1,000 including pilgrims from Wales.
Lady’s Island is probably the best attended well in the county, drawing crowds on August 15. Some pilgrims used to walk around the island in the water.
Among the main sources for the above article is the Journal of the Wexford Historical Society 1984, ‘The Holy Wells of Wexford’, by Gearoid O Broin.