The Clare Holy Wells Project

Saint Flannan's Well, Tobar Fhlannáin, Drumanure

Saint Flannan's Well, Tobar Fhlannáin, Drumanure. Photo credit: James Feeney

Welcome to the Clare Holy Wells Project.

The aim of this project is to create awareness of the many holy wells of County Clare and to celebrate their built, natural & cultural heritage significance. It also aims to encourage the continuation of the holy well visitation traditions and their ongoing conservation, preservation and enjoyment.
The following pages are not a static resource, but will develop as research on the holy wells of Clare continues. We hope you enjoy learning more about the holy wells of County Clare!
If you have any feedback on these pages as they are developed, please feel free to send this to  cmcguire@clarecoco.ie.

Important Information about the Holy Well Sites

Responsibility for access to the holy wells lies with the individual. Access to any holy well should be agreed with the landowner in advance where the holy well is on private property.
Some of the sites featured on this website are on private ground, on perilous ground, and/or in poor states of repair. It is the visitor’s responsibility to carry out their own research in regard to access and safety arrangements prior to any visit. The onus is on the visitor to ensure all necessary permissions are obtained, and proper safety precautions are taken prior to visiting any site featured in this dataset/survey.

How to Find a Holy Well on this Website

Find a Holy Well Using the Map
A map is available to browse the holy well sites. Each blue dot  on the map represents a holy well. Click on a blue dot to see the name of that holy well.
Clicking on ‘More Info’ will bring you to a web page dedicated to this holy well. Access the map here.

Find a Holy Well by Alphabetical List
At the right hand side of each holy well page, you will see a list of the other holy wells in alphabetical order. Wells which are dedicated to the same saint will be differentiated by townland and parish.

Browse Holy Wells by Region
You can also browse the list of holy wells in County Clare by region. Click here to explore the holy wells of North, West, East and Mid-Clare.

Browse Holy Wells by Keyword
At the very end of each web page you will notice the name of the townland and parish where the holy well is located. A full list of these is available here. Click on a townland or parish name to see other holy wells which are in that same townland.

Saint Michael's Holy Well, Tobar Mhichíl, Kilbreckan

Saint Michael's Holy Well, Tobar Mhichíl, Kilbreckan. Surveyed by Michael Houlihan. Photo credit: James Feeney

Clare County Council, the Heritage Council and Creative Ireland wish to thank all the individuals and community groups who facilitated the Clare Holy Wells Survey. In particular, we wish to acknowledge the great work done by individuals and groups with an interest in all aspects of Clare Holy Wells in their community and in the County, those who keep the holy well traditions and who maintain the holy wells.

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