St Olan’s Well, Aghabulloge

I always seem to start my blog by saying how unexpectedly interesting the well in question is! It’s true – each well has its own merits and interest and this one is no exception. St Olan’s Well is to be found on the side of the Rylane road, there’s a small pull-in place. The area is neatly kept and enclosed by a chain-looped fence, topped with crosses. The wellhouse is captivating: a small stone beehive with a row of slabs leading up to it.

A narrow rectangular opening, lintelled, leads down into the well, now sadly dry due to recent drainage work. but it was once renowned for its healing properties for ailments of the eyes, toothache and warts. This wonderful photo from the Wellcome Collection, date unknown, shows the well in its prime.

A whitethorn tree emerges exuberantly from somewhere within the well. This has a story attached:

… When the summer’s are very hot and the well dries up people take away a piece of the bark of the tree near the well. This tree is supposed to have been planted by St Olan himself. It is said he was minding cows near the well and had in his hand a stick for driving the cows. He stuck it beside the well and it is from that twig that the famous tree was growing until a few years ago … When it fell another tree grew up in its place and it is to be seen on top of the well now, Some neighbours took some of it to burn but they had no luck with their cattle. They took no more and it can still be seen at the back of the well.

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It seems that if the well ran dry regularly and if this was the case, it was customary for pilgrims to take small pieces of the tree home with them instead of the water.

The tree was originally an ash and its wood would never burn I think there might be a glimpse of it in the Wellcome photo. Sadly it was cut down by orders of the parish priest.

The power of the well also seemed to work miraculously from afar:

Two men were once taking a crippled man to pay rounds at St Olan’s well near Aghabullogue. As they were crossing a field they were chased by a bull. The two men let down the cripple and running to save their own lives, left the cripple to the mercy of the bull. The cripple was instantly cured and to the astonishment of the the two others, was out on the road before them.

The well was also home to a blessed frog, a cure assured to those who saw it.

This is probably a good example of a pre-Christian well, perhaps blessed by local saint, St Eulong, or Olan to give him his anglicised name. This feeling of timelessness is heightened by the huge standing stone to the left of it, covered in ochre lichen and when you look closely, also inscribed down one edge by Ogham – the earliest form of Irish writing.

The inscription has been decoded as MADORA MAQI DEGO or NO MAQI DEGO. Quite what it means is unclear but it could honour a chief of the Clana Deaghda tribe which once had territory in West Munster. What an impressive and compelling stone though. It stands nearly 3m tall. It is not in its original position however but was moved in 1851 from the nearby townland of Mountrivers where it was discovered in the foundations of an old mill which in turn may have been built on a ringfort. Crosses inscribed onto it show how it was later incorporated into the rounds. This entry from the Schools’ Folklore Collection gives a few more interesting insights and suggests that this could have been the original position after all:

About a year ago I heard David O’Dwyer telling several stories by the fire-side one night. He told many different kinds of stories but the story about our own native parish interested me most. He said there were many different legends as to how St Olan became the patron Saint of our parish. Some people believe that the stone or “leac” which now stands at one side of the blessed well was originally taken from Aghabullogue graveyard, and placed near the well. One night a certain person in the locality came and took away the slab and placed it across a stream to serve as a little footbridge. Next morning when he awoke he heard a cry from the direction of the stream. When he went down to investigate to his surprise the stone had vanished. He went back to the holy well and there he saw it was in the same position as it was before. Another story went on to say that some other person took away some water from the holy well and it would not boil however hot the fire. The stone itself is a huge one about ten feet in length. It has curious lines and scratches down its side. This is said to be Ogham writing or writing people used in ancient times. When all these lines are taken and read that it is thought that the meaning of them “Nó mac Deag” This means “No the son of Deag” From this is seems as if the son of some former Knight was buried there near the stone, perhaps in the old graveyard where it once was.

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Circling the stone and the well are the Stations of the Cross. These were erected in the 1970s along with the statue of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The statue is in a glassed niche built into the wall, and she looks out rather wistfully, pulling back her blue robes to reveal her Immaculate Heart.

Traditionally the heart was depicted pierced with seven wounds, referring to the Seven Sorrows. Seven Hail Marys should be said daily in front of her. Should you be wondering about the Seven Sorrows (as I was), they are as follows:

1. The prophecy of Simeon. (St. Luke 2:34, 35)
2. The flight into Egypt. (St. Matthew 2:13, 14)
3. The loss of the Child Jesus in the temple. (St. Luke 2: 43-45)
4. The meeting of Jesus and Mary on the Way of the Cross.
5. The Crucifixion.
6. The taking down of the Body of Jesus from the Cross.
7. The burial of Jesus.

A short distance away in the graveyard of the medieval church of St Olan (go right from the well, then sharp right at the junction) are more interesting reminders of the saint. Here, jostling with the gravestones, is to be found St Olan’s Cap, another remarkable standing stone.

This blatantly phallic stone also has an Ogham inscription (ANM CORRE MAQVI …UDD) but more importantly, it is topped with a capáin – a large lump of quartzite. The capáin was said to have remarkable qualities and was especially effective at curing headaches. You had to put the stone cap on your head and walk three times round the church. Kill or cure!

It was also renown for its effectiveness in curing women’s ailments and especially helpful during pregnancy and travail, as childbirth was rather euphemistically called. Could the shape of the pillar stone have had something to do with that?

Even more intriguing, the capáin seems to have had a life of its own, for if removed (as it was by an outraged and embarrassed priest), it would always find its way back to the pillar. Charles Smith visited in the 1750 and was not entirely convinced:

In the churchyard is a stone, called St Olan’s Cap, by which the common people also swear on all solemn occasions; and that they pretend that, if this stone was carried off, it would return of itself to its old place.

Charles Smith, History of Cork, cited in The Holy Wells of East Muskerry, PJ Hartnett, in Journal of Cork Historical & Archaeological Society, 1947, Vol 52, no 172

It seems the parish priest also objected to the original stone and hid it. Locals found a replacement but sadly it is now firmly cemented in place though it remains a powerful and intriguing artefact. Another Ogham stone was removed from the site in 1838 and is now part of the impressive collection of Ogham stones in University College Cork (UCC).

Nearby is another remarkable stone, St Olan’s Stone – look carefully and there are the footprints of the saint himself. Traditionally he was said to have preached perched from on top of this stone. It is also said to mark his burial place but in fact this is not the original place of the stone, it was moved from a field to the north of the graveyard during field clearances. A flat stone in front also has some inscriptions on it – maybe this was somewhere to kneel whilst doing devotions.

A popular pattern day was held on St Olan’s feast day, 5^th September which attracted large numbers of pilgrims. Visits to the well and the stones were included. PJ Harnett in his paper The Holy Wells of East Muskerry explains:

Regarding the rounds paid I must, first of all, point out that St. Olan’s Well is one of a chain of three “Stations”; the other two – St Olan’s Stone and St. Olan’s Cap – being located in the neighbouring town land of Coolineagh. The Olan whose name is here perpetuated was, of course, the patron saint of the parish of Aghabullogue, as well as being the preceptor of St. Finbarr of Cork. His name is recorded in the Martyrology of Donegal as Eolang, Eulang, or Eulogius, and his feast-day occurs on September 5th. It is on this date that rounds are paid at all three stations. 

PJ Harnett, Holy Wells of East Muskerry, JCHAS, 1947, Vol 52, No 172

The day was originally a public holiday in the parish but like many other patterns, it fell foul to faction fighting and eventually dwindled. Today Mass is held at the well on St Olan’s feast day.

St Olan himself sounds a lively chap, a contemporary of St Finbarr of Cork, he may even have been St Finbarr’s father confessor. Like many saints, he wasn’t averse to a bit of cursing. He and his neighbouring saint, St Lachteen, had a big falling out over who had the largest parish:

St Olan and St Lachtáin were very great friends until a certain thing happened. Both agreed that what each would walk on the morrow would be his parish. However, Lachtáin by setting out when it was still dark covered more ground than St Olan and people say that the reason why Donaghmore parish is bigger than Aghabullogue. Both saints cursed each others parishes. St Olan said all the mad dogs would run towards Donaghmore and St Lachtain said that Aghabullogue would never be without robbers.

Not very saintly behaviour and St Olan would be furious to know that St Lachteen still has many more wells dedicated to him!

The location of this well can be found in the Gazetteer.