The earliest reference to the well and  its associated pilgrimage dates to 1628 when a man called John O’Cullenan was cured of pain after visiting the well ‘near the front of the abbey church and drinking its water three times’ (Hayes 2011, 13).  A Short Account of Holy Cross Abbey published in 1868 states the well was visited by pilgrims up to the beginning of the 1800’s when the pilgrimage was suppressed by the orders of Archbishop Bray. The book also makes note of  pilgrim rituals at the well. The rituals  included pilgrims going around the well on their knees three times before drinking the water. No doubt set prayers were also recited. In the ensuing years the wells importance declined and by the 1950’s  pilgrimage had ceased and the well was reduced to a wishing well.

The wells importance declined even further  and today the well is covered over. This took place when the  land  surrounding the well was landscaped and turned into a prayer garden  to commemorate the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1979.

Hayes, W. J. Holycross : The Awakening of the Abbey /. Roscrea: Lisheen Publications, 2011.