Tobar Mhíchíl, St Michael’s Well, Lixnaw

I suppose I must have visited nearly 400 holy wells over the last few years and some are still capable of surprise, none more so than this one in Lixnaw, North Kerry, dedicated to St Michael the Archangel: Tobar Mhíchíl.

The Site

The well is clearly signed off the R557 just before reaching the village of Lixnaw; there is even a parking space provided by a local family. A walled path, whitewashed with blue capping, wends down to the site itself, an attractive metal gate announcing the site.

Further down, another jaunty sign welcomes you into the large central space with its covered walkways and neat rows of benches.

The Shrine

The whole area is dominated by the central whitewashed shrine which looms over the railed-off area containing the well. The shrine itself is considered a place of healing.

The shrine is apse-shaped, large, beautifully kept and placed on top of a stone altar, flanked by two painted urns containing shrubs.

It contains an extraordinary statue of St Michael, almost lifesize. A tall slim figure with a feminine air, he is distinguished by his breastplate and white wings, his neck draped with colourful rosaries. He gazes serenely outwards, seemingly unconcerned at the writhing figure at his feet pierced by his slender spear. The figure is of course Satan, a particularly alarming depiction complete with vivid red horns and teeth. It is disturbing on many levels, mainly, and certainly unintentionally, because of its racial stereotypicality. The statue is of its era, erected in 1958, but is still uncomfortable to encounter.

In front of the statue the little altar contains all sorts of offerings and a bouquet of fresh flowers.

The Well

The holy well lies below ground level and is approached via nine steps. The area is railed off and the passage narrow. The well is circular and stone built, flush with the ground.

The  water has long been renowned for it cures; an entry in the Schools’ Folklore Collection describes the water being effective for:

sore eyes, toothache and general complaint including nervousness and  mental trouble .

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Another mentions a blessed fish giving it extra potency, and a rag tree, which has since gone:

… Many people drink the water of the well. There is supposed to be a cure in the water for curing rheumatics. In certain wells there are fish. The person who sees the fish when he is paying the rounds is supposed to be cured of his illness. There is a laurel tree growing at the right hand side of the well and those who cannot afford to put money near the statue, put rags on the tree.

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Today the water is abundant and clear, a cup placed in the niche for pilgrims’ use.

The reflections Finola captured in her photo are reminiscent of the very odd fairy story The Three Heads in the Well!

The changing site

The well seems to have originally existed next to an ancient church, also dedicated to St Michael, which has since disappeared but the remains of which were still visible in the 1930s:

Saint Michael’s Well is situated in the grounds of Patrick Lynch, in the townland of Ballinageragh, who lives about a quarter of a mile from the village of Lixnaw. This well originated from a little stream that sprung up out of the ground. Beside this little spring there is a church which is called Saint Michael’s Church, and hence the well got the name Saint Michael’s Well.

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Another entry from the Schools’ Folklore collection gives more details:

… the well or bed of it is deep & is surrounded by a high bank of Earth, Worn steps runs down to the well which runs dry in warm summers. It has no visible sublet though a dyke of water runs along the south side about 15 yards distant from the well. The mounds of earth are said to be the remains of an early church which was dedicated to St Michael who is patron saint of this parish.

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The site has not always been so flamboyant:

In the beginning when the well first sprung up it was only a bleak open spot, with a few little shrubs around it … In the course of time it was made beautiful by a statue of the saint which was erected by Mrs Quilter of Gurtinare. This statue was placed on a stand and placed at the brink of the well.

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This extract explains why:

There is a beautiful statue of Saint Michael near the well. It was placed there by Mrs. Dan Quilter, Gortinore, Lixnaw, in the year 1923 in return for a favour received by praying a round at the well. This woman got a bad nervous fit and was unable to do any work. One day she was standing at her own door and she saw a bird of strange shape rise out of a tree. It flew across the fields and alighted near the Holy Well. She took this as a sign that she would be cured there so the next day she came and paid a round at the well. After paying the round she found herself getting well, and after a few weeks she found she was able to do her work as well as ever. In thanksgiving she bought a statue of Saint Michael and put it near the well. It is enclosed in a cement case with a glass front and has the following inscription “Erected on the 29th of September, 1923.” It was only there a short time when some bad children broke the glass and broke off the hands of the statue. It was a great shame for them to do so. The statue has not yet been repaired as this poor woman who is now eighty three years of age has been sick in bed for some time.

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I suspect the original statue never recovered from its broken hands and was later replaced with  a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The little niche, protected by glass, is now to the right of the main shrine today and the original inscription remains.

This shrine is beautifully kept and full of offerings: candles, flowers, rosaries, statues.

The whole site was eventually remodelled in 1958 by Muintir na Tire – The National Association For the Promotion of Community Development in Ireland. A new shrine with a new statue were erected and the area around the well cleaned and refashioned. The original shrine seems to have been moved to the right. 

The Pattern

A pattern day has long been held on the 29th September, St Michael’s Feast Day:

… The twenty ninth of September is a special day for paying rounds there. On this day there is a pattern held in the village. People who go to the well to pay rounds usually leave something after them. Money that is usually left there. The money which is left at Saint Michael’s Well is placed behind the statue. That evening the priest comes and takes it. On the following morning mass is offered in Saint Michael’s Church at the altar of Saint Michael which is at the right hand side of the church, for the people who left the money there. This mass also helps to make those people cured of their illness.

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It sounded a lively affair and was a parish holiday, attracting all sorts of people:

….  His feast day is celebrated  on the 29th September and in the last generation that day was held as a parish holiday. No work was done and the people dressed in their best assembled in Ballinagleragh … a pattern was held there. Plays of all kinds, tinkers, thimble men, ‘Maggie sticks’, pie shops, shebeens were general features of the pattern. Pipers also attended … roadside dances were carried on to the strains of the music .

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What is a thimble man I wondered? This interesting blog  Smock Shock  explains:

As the smock frock was so widely worn by working men, it could be a useful disguise for swindlers and criminals. The game of thimblerig was one such scheme used by gangs who roamed the country to try and gain money, especially in the early 1830s.1834 seems to have been a particularly bad year for this. The game was, and is, well-known, the thimblerigger using sleight of hand to move balls or pellets or peas about under three cups or thimbles and asking the spectator to bet on where the final location was. Around Wolverhampton, a gang of nine men were using nut shells instead of thimbles, the ‘sharpers’ [or swindlers] always winning.  Each played a part and dressed in appropriate clothing to draw people in to participate. The ‘actors’ wearing smocks tried their luck and, having won, drew in the real customers, who, of course, lost.

Dickens even mentioned the game in Nicholas Nickleby written in 1867:

… here a little knot gathered around the pea and thimble table to watch the plucking of some unhappy greenhorn.

And William Frith RA included it in his impressive painting, The Derby Day, painted in 1858 and now in the collection of the Tate, England. This is just a small portion of the painting.

Maggie sticks are less clear but I think it was a game a bit like pick up sticks also known as spillikins. It’s easy to get distracted!

Paying the Rounds

Before the thimble men plied their trade the rounds were paid. This extract explains clearly what was expected:

There are 7 points and the rounds are described as follows: kneel in front of the well and start the round of the Beads, then stand up and walk around the well three times finishing the fifth decade in front of the well. Then start another round of the well and walk around three times finishing the fifth decade in front of the well. The third round of the Beads is started in the same way and finished  in front of the well.This means 3 Rosaries and 9 rounds of the well. You then wash affected part in the water of the well getting the water in some vessels. Some of the water is also taken home in a bottle. There is a tradition you should leave 3 tokens at the well after your (visit); it may be three hairpins, 3 matches, 3 strings etc for fear Saint Michael would not know you were there until he would see the tokens, one for each round.

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Today the rounds remain rigorous, based on the traditional circuit

Do 5 rounds of the well going clockwise. At the end of each round it is recommended  to take a sup of water from the well, It is also recommended to pray, mediatate, or give thanks whilst doing each round.  This opens up the body and mind to accept and absorb the energy of this place, take about an hour to do the rounds.This is to be repeated after 6 days, again after another 6 days and again after 9. If you feel the need, repeat until you feel well. Also take home some water from the well and  drink a cup three times a day to continue the healing.

However there is now a pronounced emphasis on specific healing which seems to be a recent development. A special 50th Anniversary celebration of the remodelling of the site was held in 2008. The Kerryman reported:

A SACRED site to the parish of Lixnaw was the focus of a massive celebration on Monday night where upwards of 400 people turned out to mark the 50th anniversary of the local shrine at St Michael’s Well. Built on the site of the ancient well by Muintir na Tíre in 1958, the St Michael’s Shrine became a focal life of spiritual life in the parish in tandem with St Michael’s Well — a spring with reputed healing powers.

“We were delighted with the turnout on Monday night,” PRO of the St Michael’s Well Committee Tim O’Connell, told The Kerryman. “It is an amazing place and Portmagee diviner David Lynch has only recently put together a map of the site, pointing out the exact curative powers of the area,” Tim explained.

The map, which will soon be erected at the site, points out what parts of the well area should be used for various ailments. “It’s extraordinary as we had no idea of the energy points of the well until David first came three weeks ago,” Tim said.

Giving a talk on Monday night, David Lynch left all in no doubt as to the power of the place. Joining all on the night as well were Fr Maurice Brick and former Lixnaw parish priests, Fr Seamus McKenna and Fr Dick O’Connor, as well as former Lixnaw curates, Fr Michael Maher and Fr Jack Fitzgerald and Ballyhennessy native, Fr Tom Kearney.

A special presentation was also made to chairman of the committee Jimmy Hogan — an original member of the Muintir na Tíre group who built the shrine those 50 years ago under the chairmanship of the late Fr John Scanlon. “We feel that St Michael’s Well is only about to blossom now as a centre for healing and prayer,” Tim O’Connell said.

The Kerryman, Ist October 2008

It seems the diviner recognised seven healing or energy points, each with an emphasis on a certain part of the body. These are are now clearly indicated and painted onto the ground with their relevant number:

1.  Knees
2. Hips
3. Fertility
4. Liver, stomach & Pancreas
5. Heart, blood & lungs
6. Throat
7.   Overall healing. Please note that for those unable to do the rounds, they may sit in the white rectangle area in front of the shrine. A folding chair has been provided for your convenience (notice on wall at site)

These points are now stations and are included in the rounds:

Please note that those who are unable to do the Rounds, they may sit in the white rectangle area in front of the shrine, where the healing will come to them.

Begin by standing at Point 1 and say a Decade of the Rosary. Point 1-5. At Point 6 say the Hail Holy Queen. At Point 7 say the prayer to St Michael, Repeat 3 times.

It is recommended to spend one hour doing the Rounds, Prayers of your choice can also be said.

Repeat this after 6 days. Again after 6 days  and again after 9 days. If you feel the need repeat until you feel well.

The Well Committee is keen to promote the site as a place of powerful healing:

A special healing survey is being tested in this place and we would like you all to help and let us know how this place helped you. This place has very strong healing energies coming from the ground, which are good for the body, to power up the immune system to fight illness. This place has the strongest natural healing in all of this area and had been used for healing people for many thousands of years. We are now hoping with your help to put this place back to its original use and what it was set up to do:

1. to get rid of negative energies in your body
2. to boost your body with positive energy which comes from the ground
3. to power up your immune system to fight illnesses
4. it helps balance the seven main energy  points in the body

This place was the hospital and holy place of our ancestors for thousands of years and has very special healing for cancer, motor neurons, autism, cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, MS, ME and all ailments of the immune system.

Do 5 rounds of the well going clockwise. At the end of each round it is recommended  to take a sup of water from the well, It is also recommended to pray, meditate, or give thanks whilst doing each round. This opens up the body and mind to accept  and absorb the energy of this place, take about an hour to do the rounds.

This is to be repeated after 6 days, again after another 6 days and again after 9. If you feel the need, repeat until you feel well. Also take home some water from the well and  drink a cup three times a day to continue the healing.

This water has the power to correct the cells in the blood and the liver, It also kills off  cancer spores in the blood and liver and cleans the blood of all impurities.

Healing can be sent from this place to a sick person by a friend or better still by a group of friends by doing the rounds and wishing the healing to the sick person, follow this by taking them some water to drink, Its best to do this four times in a row.

I have to admit to being sceptical and slightly alarmed by the ambitious and potentially dangerous claims made for healing but I cannot deny that the faith and devotion apparent here are absolutely genuine. A remarkable place.

The annual pattern day is still held on the 29th September. There also seems to be an annual  healing Mass in late June when carers and minders of the sick are blessed.

St Michael the Archangel

Defend us in the hour of Battle

Be our safeguard against

the wickedness and snares of the Devil.

May God restrain him.

We humble pray and do thou

O prince, of heavenly host

by the power of god thrust

down to hell satan and with

him all those wicked spirits

who wander through the world

seeking the ruin of souls

The pattern day continues to be upheld, the video is from 2022, courtesy of Gail Tangney.

And a few images from the pattern day 29th September 2023.

St Michael’s Well was one of the four wells featuring in a series of contemporary artworks, led by artist Marie Brett entitled Well, Well, Well?

The exhibition opened in Siamsa Tíre, Tralee in October 2024. The custodians of the wells attended including Tim Joe Connell, chatting with me.

Many thanks to Robert Harris and Finola Finlay for the use of their photographs.

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