Our Lady’s Well, near Cloyne

A few days in east Cork on a holy well expedition proved fascinating and rewarding. The very first well visited was probably one of my all time favourites and really the epitome of all that’s special about Irish holy wells.

Lady’s Well, Tobar Mhuire, Titeskin

Near the ruins of the old church of Titeskin (or Kilteskin) is Tober Muire ‘Lady’s well’, much frequented by the peasantry for devotional purposes on the 15^th August and near this a stone with a rude representation of the crucifixion.

Guys Directory, 1889

Approached down a long rather slurry-filled boreen, Lady’s Well sits serenely in a field of pasture. Rather horrifyingly an enormous pylon is right next to it but you must quickly dismiss and ignore this insensitive intrusion.

The well is surrounded by a whitewashed stone wall, obviously ancient for a huge ash tree, itself quite an age, has literally grown over it in a close and gnarly embrace. It seems that the well was once known as Whitewell and attracted pilgrim from all over county Cork. It looks like it still gets its fair share of visitors.

A gap in the wall and some steps lead down into the interior. The well itself is under a hefty metal cover but once lifted the water within is crisp, cold and clear. Little cups nestle in an alcove ready for use. A blessed trout lives within and whoever sees it will have their prayers answered.

An attractive statue of the BVM, snug in a pointed alcove, looks down on proceedings: her face sympathetically painted, a clutch of rosaries in her hand and a shy rose-adorned foot peeping out from under her robes.

Next to her flutter an assortment of ribbons and rosaries, the old ash now being used as a rag tree with hopes and prayers attached to each offering.

Little statues and crosses are tucked here and there and high in the branches of the tree is a boxed-in statue of Our Lady.

Just outside the well is an enigmatic stone with interesting carvings on each face, seemingly dating from the late eighteenth century. Facing the well is a carving of the crucified Christ, crosses inscribed on his chest and above his head, INRI carved above him. There are suggestions that the stone may have broken at some point as the carvings go no further than Christ’s knees.

This reminds me so much of the figure carved on the outside of the well at Castlemagner, variously interpreted as a sile na gig or St Bridget. Possibly another alternative could be considered? Edit: It seems both these figures are in an orant position – their arms upstretched in an early form of prayer. Maybe that’s the only connection.

On the other side is the profile of a face, usually interpreted as the BVM complete with spiky radial halo. The inscription, now very hard to read, is said to be:  Seven Pater Nosters and Seven Ave Marias. The Honour 1731

The patron of the well is the Blessed Virgin Mary and an entry in the Schools’ Folklore Collection refers to her appearing to a man here. The pattern day is the 15th August, the Assumption of the BVM. Traditionally the well was open from the 7-22th August and devout pilgrims would visit eight days before and eight days after this date. At least three visits were required:

During this time the people visit the well three times and at each visit a rosary is said. When the rosary is finished the sign of the cross is made three times on a stone near the well and then the stone is kissed.

SFC: 195/96:0394

Prayers to be recited were five Our Fathers, five Hail Marys and five Glorias.

Many cures were attributed to the water including:

… a boy was cured of sunstroke, a man of paralysis and a woman who was ill for sometime previous of constant headache walked from Lisgoold to Whitewell on August the fifteenth some years ago and was cured.

SFC:018:0387

There is another wonderful write up about the well in the Schools’ Folklore Collection, worth transcribing in full for it holds so much information and sums up the site so well:

There is a holy well situated on our lands at Kilteskan in the parish. It is enclosed by a circular wall in fairly good repair. A very large ash tree is growing on the western side. The tree appears to be very old. There is an outlet from the well on the northern side to carry away the surplus or overflow of water which is fairly large and which never seems to vary in quantity in any weather. Even in the very driest of weather the quantity from the well seems the same as in the wettest winter. A curious fact about the water is that it seems warm in winter and very cold in summer. There is a limestone slab about three feet high standing on the western side of the well. It is about ten feet distant from the wall of the well and has an inscription in Latin on it. The well is called our Lady’s well and it has a pattern on the fifteenth of August. Eight days before the fifteenth of August and eight days after large numbers of people come to make rounds there from distant places even as far as County Waterford, Cork city etc. Numerous cures are reported to have taken place here. Here is one. A man came to visit the well. He was crippled and had two crutches. When he had the rounds finished he went to a pool formed by the overflow of the well and washed his legs in it. He was instantly cured. It is said he left his crutches under the tree. Another cure is that of a little boy of seven years old who was unable to walk. He was brought in a perambulator to the well by his parent who washed him in the water outside the well. He was instantly cured, His father in thanksgiving put a statue of the blessed Virgin in the tree over the well. This boy’s father also in thanksgiving promised to visit the well every pattern day for as long as he lived. He has not come now for three years. Another lady was cured of deafness. She also in thanksgiving had erected a beautiful statue of Our Lady. This statue is about three feet high and last year was covered with a concrete shelter at the order of the cured lady. Very many other cures are reported to have taken place there. Local opinion has it that one such cure takes place every year. There is a trout in the well and I was told my grandmother brought a jug of water from the well to make tea. But though she did her utmost to boil the water she could not do so. She then took the water back to the well, and in pouring out the water she saw the trout coming out of the kettle. She again filled the kettle and had no trouble boiling it. It is said that anyone who sees this trout is instantly cured of any disease. My grandmother used to tell me about a man from County Waterford paying his rounds at the well. It happened about fifty years ago. He had two of his rounds done  when it began to rain very heavily. My grandmother went to the well for water and she told him to go to the barn and not to get wet. He did so. Next morning was very wet and he could not finish his rounds. He had to return home with his friends. A labouring man employed at my grandmother’s house dreamt three nights in succession that this man came to him and asked him to finish the rounds for him. He told my grandmother about the dream. She told him to go immediately and finish the rounds for the poor man was now dead and it was her fault he had not finished the rounds himself.

The runoff remains and seems to have been used to liberally wash the body:

(The pilgrims) did not forget to wash themselves properly; a favourite practice was to raise as much water as they could in the palms of their hands, and holding up their arms to allow it to run down inside their clothes – the females every now and then opening their breasts and leaving water in – and mostly all of the latter, without the slightest regard to decency, washing their legs and knees.

Kelso Chronicle, 31st April, 1849

Another colourful description confirms how after paying the rounds the pilgrims:

… repair to a pool of water which was outside the well, and from which the constant stirring was as thick as mud as if half a dozen swine had wallowed in it for the last week. The water from the pool they splashed over their heads, arms and faces, as unsparingly and unconcerned abut their finery (a large portion being gaily attired) as a flock of geese would do on a hot Summer’s day.

Ulster Gazette, 29th August, 1868

When I revisited in April 2022, the runoff was choked with grass and water plants.

The well is obviously much cared for and still revered. The statue, put up in thanks in the 1930s, still looks fresh and graceful, and a statue in the trees seems to have re-appeared. No sign of any crutches though. There is still an annual mass here on the 15^th August, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin. And a word about the unusual name for the townland: Titeskin – not pronounced remotely like it looks and its seems to be known as Kilteskan locally. A kind friend explained that it means tigh antSeiscinn which translates as house in the swamp, which seems very fitting as it was certainly damp and boggy; all that wonderful holy water.

Edit: the site was revisited in March 2022 and was looking in good repair.

Photos below from a very damp but very enjoyable field trip led by myself on June 4th 2022, one of the workshops/visits sponsored by Sirius Art Centre connected with Marie Brett’s wonderful exhibition:The Hidden Mountain, the Fort and the Five Trees.

The location of this well can be found in the Gazetteer. It is on private land but has public access.