School: Aill Bhreac (roll number 12103)

Location:
Aillebrack, Co. Galway
Teacher:
Eilís Bean Mhic Chonghaile
Browse
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0005, Page 157

Archival Reference

The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0005, Page 157

Image and data © National Folklore Collection, UCD.

See copyright details.

Download

Open data

Available under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

  1. XML School: Aill Bhreac
  2. XML Page 157
  3. XML “Tobar na Seacht nIníon - Well of the Seven Daughters”

Note: We will soon deprecate our XML Application Programming Interface and a new, comprehensive JSON API will be made available. Keep an eye on our website for further details.

On this page

  1. The Well of the Seven Daughters is situated in a valley in a field called "Pairc Geal" in Aillebrack, almost at the foot of Doon Hill. There is a white-thorn bush growing close to the well and there is a spring-well also very close to it. A little wall partly encloses the well.
    The well is frequented for the cure of diseases, particularly headaches, sore eyes, sore hands, etc.
    The prayers said are:- seven Our Fathers, seven Hail Marys and seven Glory be to the Fathers on each round of seven. There are seven stones used to count the rounds. If the Station is being performed for oneself, three sups of water are taken by the person. The water is also applied to the affected part and it is also brought home.
    On completion of the Station, something is left beside the well, such as coins, medals, statues, buttons, hair pins, crosses, flowers, pieces of cloth tied on the bush +c.
    Tradition has it that the Patrons of the well were the Seven sisters of St. Cailín, who were drowned while bathing in Lough Fada (Ballinaboy).
    It is said that the water of the well "boils up" and that a water-spider is seen when a request is granted.
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. events
      1. events (by time of year) (~11,476)
    Language
    English
    Location
    Well of the seven Daughters, Co. Galway
    Collector
    Úna Ní Chongaile
    Gender
    Female
    Age
    16
    Address
    Aillebrack, Co. Galway