An Elusive Lady

There are many interesting holy wells in the Buttevant area ( St Bridget for example ) but one has proved very elusive – Lady’s Well, seemingly very close to the town itself. The problem is that most of the town lies on the west bank of the River Awbeg, while the well is on the east bank. The main difficulty seems to be in getting across the water. We decided to try and find a local to advise us.The first person we asked was of course not local, but he led us into the nearby pub and inquiries were made. No one had ever heard of the well. We continued up to Centra and inquired again. The woman behind the till had no idea but she thought she knew someone who might – Maureen ( I hope I have her name right, apologies if not) was summoned over the tannoy. Maureen had indeed heard of the well, thought we were mad trying to get to it but her instructions proved to be excellent: cross over at Castle Bridge, find the path, follow it for about a mile then head down sharply towards the river.

We parked near the impressive ruins of Ballybeg Priory and looked for a bridge. I was expecting something modern and well kept so the rather ramshackle and forgotten structure we came across was a bit of a shock.

However there were great views to be had looking up and down the Awbeg. A rusty once fairly impressive gate led inwards.

The path was just about discernible. We followed it through a greenway, into rough pasture and then along a sort of avenue lined with trees. The wildflowers were impressive, many of them almost head high, mingling with less pleasant briars and burrs.

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The GPS showed us when to drop down towards the river which was heavily wooded, the castellated ruins of the rather impressive corn mill  appearing above the trees some way off.

The field was once known as the Military Field according to this entry from the Schools’ Folklore Collection:

Well known to the people of Buttevant and the surrounding districts is a well which is dedicated to Our Lady. It is situated at the end of the wood, in the Military field; so called because it was in this field the English soldiers used to drill when they were in Buttevant. This is about a mile from the town.

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Entering the woods, the terrain became even more challenging, dense briars (some heavily with delicious blackberries), bracken and high nettles.

Encouragingly there was a the faint outline of a track. Someone had been here before us, and not very long ago. We tentatively followed in their footsteps.

Having struggled this far it was thrilling to see a mossy structure hidden amongst all the undergrowth. There It was – Lady’s Well.

Coming round to the front a wonderful site was revealed.

The pyramidal shaped shrine overlooked the rectangular well, a statue of the BVM within the  niche, necklaced with rosaries, the paint still just about clinging on. Below this another rectangular stone niche, currently empty. This short but interesting sentence reveals a little more:

There is a statue of Our Blessed Lady placed over the well. In the month of May there is a veil put on it and it is decorated with flowers.

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Below, the well was a rectangular trough roughly built out of large stones, the roots of a huge elm tree encircling the stones, towering over the whole site in a bosky embrace.

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The water was plentiful but scummy and once said to hold a cure for sore eyes. It could also be drunk or taken home to anyone who who sick:

It is still visited chiefly during the month of May by all the people around, and here rounds are made by going round the well three times. The Rosary is the chief prayer usually said while making these rounds.

It is said that a blind man has been cured there. This man went to the well and washed his eyes with the water with the belief that he would be cured, and he was cured. Invalids and everybody who visit this well usually drink the water and take some of it home with them.There are numerous mementoes at this well. Every pilgrim leaves a piece of cloth, a holy picture, a medal, a rosary, beads, a little statue or some other object of piety when leaving the well. There is a large tree growing near the well on which the above mentioned objects are hung.

Pilgrims also pick flowers on their way to the well which are to be found growing wild in the wood, and leave them before the statue of Our Lady. The following incident is told about some woman in the neighbourhood who by mistake took a gallon of this water home with her, but found she could not boil it.

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I liked the reference to the wildflowers, for, as mentioned earlier, they still grow in abundance here. No sign of any rags in the tree though. And of course the water would never boil.

The river lay below but the vegetation was so thick we couldn’t see it. We felt enclosed in another older world, yet the presence of a tractor and bouncy sheep dog working in the nearby field showed we were not far from everyday life.

The trek back was long and at one point we were pursued by an enthusiastic and bellowing herd of cattle, fortunately safely behind an electric fence.

I was delighted to have found this well, a forgotten gem. And it seems, from the ghost track, that at least one other person still feels it’s an important site, well worth the tough journey.

Incidentally, Buttevant is a fascinating and historically important town full of other interesting things to explore. The local website has all the information.

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