Holy Wells of Tipperary Map and list of recorded Holy Wells

 

A few people have been asking me, how do I know if my local holy well is recorded or not? 

Well firstly I guess it doesn't matter as we would like to hear about the folklore and practices at the well even if it is a very well known holy well. 

We do hope that some previously unrecorded holy wells are discovered and are added to the records and to aid in this I have created two resources below. 

The first one is a list of all the recorded holy wells in the County and their recorded names on the older Ordnance Survey maps. 

For this see here.

I've also created a webmap showing each holy well in the County in its location. This is only a very roughly put together map and I hope to have something better and more user friendly in the next few weeks. 

For this map click here. (Double click on the red dots to get the townland name of the well). 

Then after that if you have located your local holy well and wish to add some information about it. 

The survey form is here

Holy Well Survey | Tipperary County Council Consultations (tipperarycoco.ie)

Thanks to everyone for reading. 

Holy Wells of Tipperary Survey

 

I’m delighted to say that the survey form for the Holy Well Survey of Tipperary is available now online.

If anyone has any information to share about a holy well close to them or one they know about, we would be grateful if you would reply to it.

We hope to have information on every holy well in the County and to make this available online for everyone to access.

In phase I, we will create a searchable database and interactive website of Holy Wells in the County and record:

(i) folklore and cultural traditions associated with holy wells;

(ii) identify the location of any 'missing' holy wells in County Tipperary;

We hope this survey will raise awareness of Holy Wells in County Tipperary and their archaeological heritage & cultural significance.

With this baseline set, we aim to investigate a number of Holy Wells around the County with a field study.

We are asking you, the public, for any information you may have about your local Holy Well or a Holy Well that you have knowledge or interest in?

Do you know if the well if dedicated to a particular saint?

What is the name of the well known locally?

Was there a pattern day set for this well?

Were there associated customs such as rounds, particular prayers, depositions?

Did the well have curative powers attributed to them and for what illnesses?

Are there stories of specific people that were cured by a well?

Other folklore or history associated with the well? Wells moving location etc.

Do you have any photos of the well that you would like to share?

If you know of any holy wells in your area, please join this community project by emailing your information, stories and photos to the project TipperaryHolyWells@tipperarycoco.ie Or submitting through the project portal below .

This survey is an action of the Tipperary Heritage Plan 2017-2022 and funded by Tipperary County Council and The Heritage Council. 

https://consultations.tipperarycoco.ie/consultations

An Enigmatic Enclosure near Lough Derg

I recently got to visit this large enclosure near Dromineer in Co. Tipperary. 

It is described on archaeology.ie as follows 

"Situated on relatively high ground overlooking Lough Derg to the NE, in undulating pastureland. A large, roughly circular area (dims. 132m N-S; 163m E-W) enclosing undulating terrain which rises to a gentle summit in the NW quadrant. There is a subrectangular hollow (dims. 7.5m x c. 7.3m) at the top of the summit. The enclosure is defined by a much-denuded internal bank (Wth 3.5m; int. H 0.43m; ext. H 1.2m), an intervening fosse (Wth 4.8m; D 0.43m) and a low outer bank (Wth 4.4m) surviving in the SE quadrant only. Drystone walling built up against the external face of the inner bank in the NW quadrant, much of which has collapsed, appears to be a later feature."

It was named on the 1840s OS map as "Meadow".

At approximately 4 acres in size it is massive, much bigger than any ring-fort. 

The current townland name is Shannonvale but its old name according to logainm.ie is Cill Teillog, possibly the Church of Teillog

Cill Teilleog/Shannonvale | Logainm.ie

Martin Power in "Dear Land, Native Place" pg 35 has this to say about it 

"Shannonvale - Another English applied Townland name. The great ancient meadow-fort of Kilteelagh is located in this Townland. Kilteelagh was the former name meaning (Cill tSíle) = The Church of Sheila, linked I would suggest with Castlesheela and dating perhaps from early medieval period. In 1862 the Kilteelagh name was revived, when Colonel Gason, Richmond, erected Kilteelagh House, in Shannovale." 

Daniel Grace in "Portrait of a Parish" pg 24 says this on it 

"'The Meadow Fort' 

The great earthen fort of Kilteelagh in the townland of Shannonvale merits special mention for two reasons. It is the largest example in the parish and seems to have served a religious rather than a secular purpose. John O'Donovan described it in 1840 as "one of the largest in Ireland" and recorded it was known as the "Meadow Fort" at that time. O'Donovan calculated that the enclosure measured about five acres and was capable of grazing three cows. The fort is irregular in shape and, according to O'Donovan, measured six and half chains (130 metres) from north to sound and eight chains (157 metres) from east to west. It had already been mentioned in 1837 that brass battle-axes, coins and large human bones had been found in the surrounding ditch. (Note 19)

Although there is no tradition that Kilteelagh was a burial site, there are indications that the fort served a religious rather than a secular function. The word 'cill' in the placename implies a church, even though the second part of the name, 'teelagh;, is obscure. It is possible that the word is a corruption of 'tuile' / 'a flood'; a logical explanation at least because the site is almost lapped by the waters of Lough Derg. Or perhaps it is the word 'tamhlacht' which has been variously explained as 'a plaque-burial site' or 'an ecclesiastical site'. The bank encircling a religious enclosure is usually less well-constructed than that a conventional ring-fort. This is certainly the case at Kilteelagh. Finally, archaeologists. who have visited the site are of the opinion that it was a small monastic enclosure dating to the Early Christian Period" (Note 20). 

Note 19 - Samuel Lewis pg 505 Topographical Dictionary of Ireland "Here is a Danish fort, occupying more than two acres, in the ditch surrounding which brass battle-axes, coins, large human bones, &c, have been discovered"

Note 20 - Information from Conleth Manning, Senior Archaeologist, Office of Public Works

The man who kindly gained permission for me to access the site, said that locally it was thought to be connected with the Vikings. 

For a drone view of the fort see this picture here. It gives an idea of just how close it is to the lake. It is in the centre background.

https://a0.muscache.com/im/pictures/3ed63cb6-38dd-44ec-9ad2-6fb15f976221.jpg?im_w=1200

Its sheer size and location near the lake makes it unusual and worthy of further study. The bay here at Dromineer would no doubt have always been a natural harbour. 

The fact that no local knowledge or folklore has survived suggesting it was an eccesiatical site must also be unusual and there does not appear to be any evidence of buildings within the enclosure. 

Edit: From ITB Report on Puckane pg 3

"At Kilteelagh on the jackson estate (1/4 ml s. of Dromineer) are the remains of a large rath - 2 acres in extent, having a circumference of 500 yds. About 140 years ago brass battle axes, coins & large human bones were found. This fort was a Danish Settlement." 

Glanaskagheen or "Scota's Glen" outside Tralee in Co. Kerry.

I wrote previously about links between Egypt and Ireland showing that many of the claims are tenuous at best here.

One piece of evidence often used is the folklore surrounding Scotia's Grave outside Tralee in Co. Kerry. There is no doubt that folklore exists purporting that this is the site of an Egyptian princess named Scotia.

I visited the site early this year and in my opinion it doesn't look archaeological. How the whole thing came about I'm not sure really. There are similar sized stones just about 50m along the riverbank and it looks to me as if what is now described as Scotia's Grave has maybe been put together much more recently than when she would have been in Ireland anyway! Many of the stones appear to just lie on the surface rather than go down to any real depth. There is a large earthfast stone nearby with a lot of graffiti carved into it.

Scota's Grave

Scota's Grave

Stone with modern graffiti

Modern stones located along the riverside near the alleged monument

My current thinking on it is that the Christian medieval scholars (such as in the Lebor Gabala Erenn) that were trying to tie the Irish into the biblical narrative may have picked placenames around Ireland that could be used to support it. The story of Scota was already in place (a text found in the 11th-century Historia Brittonum contains an earlier reference to Scota) so perhaps they looked for a placename that sounded like it in Ireland. Rather than Scotia's Glen. the placename Glanaskagheen or Gleann Scoithín. https://www.logainm.ie/en/1414581?s=Gleann+Scoith%c3%adn# actually translates as Glen of Wispy Flax or something similar. "Scoithín: A little wisp of hemp or flax ; a small lock of hair. (Dineen - Foclóir GB - 1904). (Thanks to Jim Hynes of the facebook group Irish Placename Research for that).

Another example is a site that I am very familiar with in Tipperary - Toutinna were the reputed grave or cave of Fintan is located (Fintan survived the Irish version of the biblical flood here). Michael Roche from Tipperary wondered if this hill was picked for this episode as it is the height of the Arra Mountains and this name could parallel Mt. Ararat in the biblical story where Noahs' Ark comes to rest after the flood.

So that is my current thinking on Scota's Glen at the moment. It is a visit that I wouldn't lightly. There is pretty much only one way in and one way out of the glen and some evidence of anti-social behaviour on the trail to it. The trail is very muddy and bar the sign at the road, no marked path. 

Summer Solstice Sunset at the Church of the Fairy Hill near Thurles Co. Tipperary

 

I had wondered about a potential summer solstice sunset from this site at Shyane to the Devils Bit or Barane Eile / Gap of Ely.

The Church and Graveyard at Shyane is known as Teampall an tSideáin, Church of the Fairy Hill.

"Shyane was bounded by Moyne, Rahealty, Thurles & Loughmore. Name is Teampall an tSideáin, Church of the Fairy Hill. The ruins are still on the hill from which it receives its name."
http://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922209/4860869/5015955

You can clearly see that it is built on some kind of low mound and mythology and folklore may back this up.  

Professor Ronald Hicks was writing a book on Sídhs or Fairy Mounds in Ireland and he said the following about a potential one near Thurles which I helped identify as this site. "From the Paps, according to "Two Tales about Fionn," Fionn went to Ely, centered on the barony of Eliogarty, County Tipperary, chasing Cul Dub, who jumps back and forth across the River Suir before going into a síd." 

It is an exciting story to visualis, Fionn MacCuill hunting the Cul Dub or Black Hound from The Paps of Anu in Co. Kerry to the rich pastures of Tipperary and the hound evading capture by diving into a Fairy Mound.

So I’ve been waiting since 2016 to get a chance to view the potential alignment. However between bad weather and timing, I’ve never had the opportunity till last night. The 3D view of the Sun Seeker app seems to suggest that it would set somewhere near the notch in the mountains that forms the Devils Bit.

Sadly as the photos show, the sun doesn’t set in the notch from this position. Unfortunately not all theories work out but it is nice to finally put it to bed.

Stones marking the King of Leinster's sons burial places

 

The Capstone of the King of Leinster or Knockaunrilaghin (pictured) is relatively well known locally and a part of mythology around the Graves of the Leinstermen.

However as anyone ever heard of these that I just came across recorded by Maurice Lenihan in 1869?

"In this district also are pointed out Leachtnagrass, about a mile from Killaloe, near Boher, where Leachtna, another son of the king of Leinster was slain ; Keillan, near Bushfield, and Quilla, towards Shallee, where two others, sons of the Lagenian king were also killed.

Tipperary Vindicator June 8, 1868.

Was Lenihan spun some tall tales or was there folklore relating to this in the locality in the early 1800s? 

Brian Boru's Fingerstone

Anyone in the Ballina area of Tipperary ever hear of "Brian Boru's Fingerstone"?

It is mentioned by historian Maurice Lenihan in his notes from the 1860s.

"A large stone opposite Craggs Mountain at the Tipperary side of the river, is shown as "Brian Boru's fingerstone", which the legend attests he threw from one side of the shannon to the other".

Copyright Limerick City Council

The hand writing is hard to read, I'm not sure what the last two words in it say?

Craggs Mountain is clearly shown on the map (I've highlighted it blue) so I wonder would the fingerstone be somewhere in the area I highlighted on the Tipp side of the Shannon.

Copyright OSI 

I've included a sketch of St. Patricks Fingers from approximately 12km away at Patrickswell. It may have been a stone with some kind of markings on it.

St Patricks Fingers - Copyright Duchas.ie

Edit 

Local info suggests that there is a large rock near the shore in and around this area. 

A possible lost Sean Na Gig at Monsea outside Nenagh

Monsea church outside Nenagh.

Dermot Gleeson in NMAJ mentions some features of note;

"Outside the south door is a stone that came up with cleaning. It has embossed a panel about 1in. square bearing rosette, four quatre foils and the initials "T.B" and "S.B". The Tudor Rose and initials apparently refer to the Butler family." He earlier mentions in the same paper that the lands here were part of the manor of Ballyartela owned by the Earl and Countess of Ormond up to the 18th Century.

There is a small stone immediately outside the south door but I'm not sure if it is the one referred to.

Another interesting feature is a possible "Sean na Gig" or maybe some kind of folk art.

"There is another stone (broken) of a rudely calved nude man. This is apparently of comparatively modern date (perhaps 18 cent) and may be a sportive effort of a local mason".

I've included a sketch of a "sean na gig" from another location. There is no sign of this around, does anyone have any information on its whereabouts?