This short blog is about St Patrick’s holy well, at Ardrass Upper, in Co. Kildare, a lovely well that I stumbled across one rainy Sunday on my way to Dublin.

This roadside holy well, is easy to miss being located on sharp bend on the R403 road to Celbridge. Parking is just about possible at the entrance to the well.

The holy well is accessed via a small gravel path framed by a metal arch that leads to an open space.

The well is a natural spring that sits within a ciruclar stone lined depression, covered by a large flagstone. The area infront of the well is also paved with flat flags.

Like many Irish holy wells, it is difficult to know how long the well has been venerated. There are few historic records. The well is not marked on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey 6-inch map of 1839. It is record on the later 25-inch Ordnance Survey map of 1910 as St Patrick’s holy well. Interestingly this map records the hill directly behind the well as St Patrick’s Hill. The 25-inch Ordnance Survey map also records a circular feature called St Patrick’s Bed close to the summit of the hill. This map suggests a larger pilgrim landscape once existed here. The antiquity of this landscape is tentatively strengthened by the presence of a medieval church dedicated to St Patrick which sits within an earlier ecclesiastical enclosure, located 300m to the southwest.

Like many pilgrimage sites St Patrick’s holy well, at Ardrass Upper, went through an ebb and flow of popularity. Pilrimage is now focused solely on the holy well. The Holy Wells of County Kildare A pilgrimage to the sacred sites of County Kildare 2023 notes the well was ‘found to be dirty in 1979’. Today the well is clearly cared for and evidence of pilgrimage is also present, represented by several rosary beads tied to the metal arch, along with lanterns and holy statues including one of the Pieta sitting on top of the flag that covers the well.

The earliest written record of the well is found in the Ordnance Survey Letters Kildare 1837-39, where the well is named. The text unfortunately provides no other details about the well or the pilgrimage (Herity 2002, 14).

Fr. J. F. Shearman in his article ‘Loca Patriciana: An identification of localities, chiefly in Leinster, visited by Saint Patrick’ notes the St Patricks well was

still frequented by pilgrims who hang up votive offerings of rags on an ancient thorn which overhangs the well. (Shearman 1874-5, 306).

The folklore collections schools essays for Clane (Pres. Convent)

“At Ardrass near Straffan there is a holy well named Saint Patrick’s well. Old tradition says if you pay three visits to the well you get cured of your illness. Some leave medals, pennies and even pieces of string in thanksgiving. These can be seen hanging on the bushes over the well even to the present day.” The Schools Collection, Volume 0773, Page 478

For anyone planning to visit the holy well be careful when parking and getting in and out of your car as the R403 road which leads to the town of Celbridge a commuter town, is very very busy.

References

Giacometti, A. and Boazman, G. 2023. Holy Wells of County Kildare. A pilgrimage to the sacred sites of County Kildare 2023. Kildare County Council.

Herity, M. ( ed . ) 2002,, Ordnance Survey letters Kildare letters containing information relative to the antiquities of the county of Kildare during the progress of the ordnance survey in 1837 , 1838 and 1839. Dublin , Fourmasters Press

Sherman, Rev. J. F. 1879.’LOCA PATRICIANA.-No. VII.-ST. PATRICK’S VISITATIONOF LEINSTER, DRUIM URCHAILLE, NAAS. BAPTISM OF IOLLAN, AND OILILL, &c. FORACH PATRICK. THE SONS OF LAIGHIS FIND. THE UI-ERCAN, &c. VISITS HY-CINNSELACH. BAPTISM OF CRIMTHAN AT RATHVILLY, VISITS DUBHTACH AT DOMNACHMORE MAGH CRIATHAIR.’ The Journal of The Royal Historical and Archaeological Association of Ireland: Originally Founded as The Kilkenny Archaeological Society in the Year M.DCCC.XLIX. Vol. III Fourth Series,  279-206.

The Schools Collection, Volume 0773, Page 478 A Holy Well https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4742163/4741149/4819842