St. Patrick's Well Hand Pump - Patrickswell, Ireland
N 52° 35.865 W 008° 42.502
29U E 519752 N 5827564
St. Patrick's well is one of three holy wells in the Patrickswell-Ballybrown Parish. The hand pump dates from the 1800s and was placed over the holy well in 2002.
Waymark Code: WMET0W
Location: Connacht, Ireland
Date Posted: 07/03/2012
Views: 3
An historical marker by the holy well reads:
"Patrickswell takes its name from this ancient holy well dedicated to St. Patrick. The origin of the well is unknown.
So many generations of local people cherish the idea that St. Patrick himself had prayed at the well when on his way from Saingeal (now Singland, on the outskirts of Limerick city) to Knockpatrick near Foynes.
County Limerick scholar and historian Caoimhin O Danachair writes "The well was open formerly, with a great elm tree standing beside it. Formerly much venerated especially on 17th March. The water cured sores, toothache and other pains, also cattle. It was sprinkled on crops and churns. Rags, medals and drinking cups hung on the tree. Devotions ceased about 1890."
There were 14 steps leading down to the well from the road and water was obtained by dipping buckets. In the 1890s a pump (made from timber) was erected over the well. The pump was subsequently removed. People in the area used the well until the 1940s when an epidemic of typhoid fever occurred in the area. Locals feared that the well was the source of contamination and stopped taking water from the well.
The well was restored by Patrickswell Community Council in 2002. The pump you now see over the well was donated by the McSweeney family who had the pump in their family since the early 1800's. They also supplied the stone needed to repair the walls, which had fallen into disrepair."