St Declan’s Well, Tobarnadeecla
Be warned this well, dedicated to St Declan or St Decla, is marked on the current OS map but on the wrong side of the very busy N20 just north of Buttevant! The GPS on, I was risking life and limb trying to access where I thought the well was, traffic roaring past me and a bull watching with interest from within the field. My husband, who had parked the car on the other side of the road, stopped a farmer who had also parked his tractor in the layby and asked him if he knew of any well. He pointed to a few metres away and there was a sign, hidden in the foliage: St Declan’s Well. What a very kind man, he offered to take us down and gave us a little further information
The well is approached down some steep concrete steps then along a little leafy boreen. A tree had recently fallen down, just missing the well, but encasing it in a leafy bower.
A sign explained that, after years of neglect, the the whole area was renovated in 1997,
Incidentally, the well goes back beyond the early 1900s for it is marked on the earliest OS map (1841) as Tobernadeecla. The later historic OS map (1913) names it as St Decla’s Well. Presumably this is the same saint as St Declan for I haven’t been able to find any reference to a St Decla. There are also the ruins of an old church and a graveyard nearby to the west.
The well is fascinating. During the renovations a new shrine was built over the well. It is made out of stainless steel with a curved domed roof topped with a metal cross. A transparent door, a bit like a washing machine, can be opened.
Inside is a statue of St Theresa and some offerings: cards, medals, rosaries, statues. St Theresa was chosen as the resident saint because the well was restored during her centenary year, 1997. It’s a rather lovely statue, the saint clutching a crucifix and some roses.
The well itself is two-tiered, a little niche above the well itself once used for offerings. A circle of stones protects and defines the well which then flows off into the foliage. The water underneath is a bit ferny and leaf-strewn. It was once considered good for the treatment of sore eyes. Rounds were once paid here and the path is just visible winding through the trees. There seems to be another well opening too, now almost covered by the fallen tree. A tranquil place, secretive and surprising.
Edit: Some interesting comments have come in about this well. One is a suggestion that it may be dedicated to St Thecla , a follower of St Paul. There are several churches dedicated to her in Galicia and the UK. Other information I have received puts the original well as under the main N70.
Trinity Well, Charleville
Charleville is about as far north in Cork as you can go and boasts a large and impressive graveyard on the outskirts of the town, dedicated to the Holy Cross. The scant remains of two ancient churches lie within as does a well, Trinity Well, marked on both early OS Maps (1841, 1915). We had a wander around the graveyard and found nothing resembling a well. Eventually we asked a man who was visiting. He directed us to the man in charge of mowing the grass. Paudie looked doubtful when I mentioned a well and said he’d never seen nor heard of it but … he knew someone who might. His mobile was retrieved and a phonecall made. He stared at me in astonishment. There was a well and it was right behind us! A keen visitor of wells, he had been to Tubrid in Millstreet and Inghne Bhuide’s Well in Dromtarriff, but was amazed to learn that there was one on his patch. Easy to see why he had never noticed it for it was a sorry looking thing.
The well is roughly circular in shape, with a chunky stone and cement base out of which sprouts a fir tree, dead heathers surrounding it. A bottle underneath the foliage I suspect was not for containing holy water.
I have found no other information except for the rather mournful information that the well supposedly dried up because a diseased infant was bathed in it.
St Sinnades Well, Toberlenade, Newtownshandrum
St Sinnades Well, or St Leonard’s (it is referred to as Toberlenade on the historic OS maps) proved elusive though it sounded interesting:
In pasture, on E side of field fence. Well lined with wall of stone and cement. Wall built up on one side to encase flat unmarked slab. Metal cross mounted on top of wall. According to local information, ‘visited in May and associated with Our Lady’. Local tradition that well moved to here from its original site at Crannavella Tree (14044) c. 1.4km to SW following use of well water for washing. Dunworth (1989, 51) names it ‘Tobarineid that is St Sinnades well’ and noted that it ‘contained a cure for eye complaints and in the old days people with sore eyes used to come to it from far and near.’ He (ibid.) also noted that it had a ‘pattern day’ but does not give a date.
By now the weather had closed in and the going was unpleasant. The next well proved exceptionally difficult to locate and I had a very soggy time looking in a very wet GAA pitch then in some fields behind bungalows. Again more cattle, still curious. Eventually I asked at the local shop. The woman looked askance but remembered a Mass being said recently and a spring and cups being involved. That sounded promising but was a red herring but an attractive one – part of the village had been tidied up as a memorial which included restoring this stream area.
Further rummaging around and the GPs led me to some rather uninspiring muddiness. Could this be all that remains of St Leonard’s well?
Sadly it was too wet to check out the Crannavella tree from whence the well was meant to have come and several other possible sites were postponed due to the deluge. I will be back.
Edit: I did go back with success. Please see this entry for further information about this well.
I’m wondering if Tobernadeecla, with its nod to the feminine, might be honoring not Declan but Tecla/Trega/Thecla/Thékla, presumably the early Turkish saint who was a follower of Paul. There is an amazing ancient Celtic Iron Age hill fort called Monte de Santa Tecla/Tegra in Spain, in Galicia, above a little fishing harbor. Its many round stone buildings were unearthed only 100 years ago, and I’ve been unable to find any information on why the hill was named for Tecla (Tegra in Galician). There is, however, an old via crucis close by, along with a 20th century route, leading to a St Tegra hermitage on the hill (and a modern museum nearby). The area is at the far southwestern tip of Spain, within sight of Portugal, and close to the coastal route of the northbound Camino de Santiago de Compostela. It is easy to imagine Irish pilgrims traveling the coastal Camino from Portugal or Spain, making a detour to visit the hilltop hermitage, and coming home with blessings from St Tecla to inspire a well dedication.
What interesting thoughts and information – I must admit I was not entirely sure about St Declan and like your possible explanation. Thanks 🙂
Tecla / Declan is certainly an interesting theory. Some good finds and a ‘possible’… Makes good reading!
This small area was the birthplace of my great grandmother, Ellen Boddie. As documented on the sign, the Boddie family lived there for approximately 60 years until their house was destroyed by the black and tans in 1921 as a reprisal for an attempted ambush on British forces that took place on the main road near their home. The remains of the house can be seen on the left after you descend the concrete steps from the road. We have a photograph of Ellen’s mother, Mary Boddie (my great great grandmother) kneeling at the holy well in c.1908. She is buried in Cooline Cemetery (marked grave). My uncle and I recently joined local volunteers to help maintain the area. Significant clearing was needed and the holy well is now fully accesible again.
Hi George, thanks so much for getting in contact. I remember the story of the Brodies and would love to see that early photo of the well and your great great grandmother, and possibly include it in the blog? Good work on clearing the well, I seem to remember several trees had fallen down when I visited it. I’d love to see a current photo of it too! It’s good to keep up to date. I wonder if you know anything about the well having supposedly moved from a field across the now very busy road?