St Conlan's Well, Youghalvillage

St Conlan's Well & Rag Tree

I've been visiting this well since I was a boy. Reading through the Schools Manuscripts this seems to have been one of a trio of very important wells around the Nenagh area. St. John's Well at Brookwatson, St. Odhrans well in Latteragh and St. Conlan's Well here at Youghalvillage.

The traditional pattern day of the well is the 24th of July and in recent years the pattern has enjoyed a revival. This year the pattern is at 7.30pm on Sunday 24th of July.

It is described in archaeology.ie as follows

"Situated on a hillocky area on a SE-facing slope. This holy well is a natural spring which flows into an open pool. Though not marked on the 6-inch OS map a lane leads from the main track right up to the well. Maintained and still visited, the well is enclosed by a hexagonal drystone wall (diam. C. 1.3m; H c.1m) and is covered by a flat slab of slate which has been partially cut to allow easy access to the water. Opening to SE, it is flanked on either side by walling terminating with boulders, with flagstones flooring this entrance area. This walling continues to enclose the hillock for a further 2-3.5m on either side of the entrance. Several small wooden crosses, painted Marian blue, have been inserted on top of this wall and on the hillock surrounding the well, including one fixed to an adjacent ash tree with a small crucifix placed in the centre. There is a rag bush in front of the well and a wooden altar to the rear containing a statue of the Virgin and Child. In the OS Name Books (c. 1840) the holy well was described as a place 'at which diseases are said to be cured and superstitious ceremonies performed'. According to the OS Letters St Conlan's festival 'fell on the 25th or 29th July. Some say it took place eleven days before the 1st August' (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 3, 17)"

Siobhan Geraghty - former Heritage Office for North Tipperary in the early 2000's had this to say about the well

"The well is stone lined and capped, and there is a stone slab on the ground in front, slightly hollowed by years of people kneeling to take the water from it. It still has an abundant supply of clean water. In the past, trees growing around the well had crosses carved and painted on them, and served as pilgrimage ‘stations’; they have been superceded, as the trees succumbed to age and disease, by small wooden crosses. Some special traditions attached to this place; water from the holy well was used for sprinkling and blessing the land, and water from the little ‘eye well’ beside it was believed to have curative properties, particularly for diseases of the eyes. It was also said by some people that the water from the eye well would never boil. Beside the holy well there is a may tree where people leave rags, rosary beads, medals, and even hair grips, as offerings when they visited the well. The impulse to do this arises from the sense that you have to give something to get something - a sign of the prayers. Everyone who has prayed here has left something behind; not necessarily any material thing, but an atmosphere that can be sensed."

The well of course is less than 200m from Youghal church which has folklore linking the site to a pre Patrician church being located there. See previous blog post for more details here.

There is a lot of information about the well in the School Manuscripts, I will include a few of the more interesting ones.

http://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/5162110/5155111/5168415
       

"St. Conlan's Well is situated about four miles outside Nenagh. A saint named Conlan lived out there one time and that is how it got it's name.
One time a horse was foaled on the very brink of the well and the people looked upon it as a miracle because it did not fall in and drown."

http://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/5162110/5155109/5168413

"St. Conlon's Well is situated about four miles from Nenagh. It is in the townland and parish of Youghalarra. It is called after Saint Conlan who was living on the banks of the Shannon, near Garry-kennedy. People go to it on the 22nd July which is his feast day and they bring home holy water with them. St. Conlan's road is called after him, that is the Nenagh - Portroe road."

http://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922150/4856529/5012164

"Saint Conlan is the patron saint of Youghal Ara and Burgess parish. His festival as well as can be ascertained falls on the 24th July. Some say it tool place eleven days before the 1st of August. His crozier was left in the possession of a family named Hogan who were tailors in 1840 and lived in the townland of Creggane about one mile south east of Youghal village in Youghal parish. It is said that Denis Hogan was in possession of the relic at that time. It is described as being made of some kind of wood with a brass image on it.

Holy Wells
The well of Saint Conlan
Pilgrimages are hele there on the 24th July and patters are held on a small scale still there.
Tobar Padraig is situated in a district called Patrickswell about three miles from Nenagh and about a mile north of Burgess School.
People visit this well on the 17th of March. Recently the place has been renovated and a cross has been erected by some of the local people."

And lastly this interesting bit of information which suggests that St. Cona & St. Conlan where different people.

http://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922150/4856528/5012162

"The antiqiuties of this parish comprise the ancient church ruins in Youghal Ara of St. Cona, the well of St. Conlan and Tobar Brigde in Kilcoleman about two miles south west of Nenagh."