Holy well, Baile An Bhuaidh, Co. Cork

Co. Cork |

Holy Sites & Wells

Holy well, Baile An Bhuaidh, Co. Cork

A well called Tobar na bPian, the well of the pains, carries within its name an entire tradition of local medical belief.

Sitting in pasture roughly sixty metres south of an old burial ground in Baile An Bhuaidh, County Cork, it was once sought out specifically for what people called bone cures, a category of folk remedy associated with conditions affecting joints, limbs, and skeletal complaints. That combination of name and function sets it apart from the more generalised healing wells scattered across Munster.

The well itself is now out of use and fallen into disrepair, but the arrangement of its surviving stonework reveals something of its original character. The stones suggest a rectangular structure measuring approximately 2.2 metres by 1.5 metres, constructed with upright orthostats, large standing slabs used here to line three sides of the well, and covered over with lintels laid flat across the top. This is a relatively formal piece of construction for a rural holy well, implying it was once maintained with some care. The Irish name was recorded by O'Donoghue in 1986, and the site sits within a wider landscape that includes a nearby burial ground, the proximity of the two reflecting a pattern common in early Irish religious geography, where wells and places of burial often occupied the same marginal, liminal ground.

The well sits in open pasture, so the stonework, though disturbed, remains visible at ground level. The rectangular outline can still be read in the positions of the remaining stones, which gives some sense of the structure as it once stood.

Rated 0 out of 5

Visitor Notes

Review type for post source and places source type not found
Added by
Picture of Pete F
Pete F
IrishHistory.com is passionate about helping people discover and connect with the rich stories of their local communities.
Please use the form below to submit any photos you may have of Holy well, Baile An Bhuaidh, Co. Cork. We're happy to take any suggested edits you may have too. Please be advised it will take us some time to get to these submissions. Thank you.
Name
Email
Message
Upload images/documents
Maximum file size: 100 MB
If you'd like to add an image or a PDF please do it here.

Advertisement