Toberbreedia, Tobar Bhríde, Finnor More

James Feeney

James Feeney

Toberbreedia, Tobar Bhríde, Finnor More

James Feeney

Toberbreedia, Tobar Bhríde, Finnor More

James Feeney

Townland: Finnor More, Kilmurry-Ibrickan, beside Mullagh village

Description of Holy Well and Landscape Setting

Toberrbreedia is located at the west end of the graveyard of Kylebreedia. It is a deeply set well, stone lined, with steps leading down to the spring. The well is now surrounded by graves. Old maps indicate that the well was originally outside the cemetery boundary in the 19th century. The graveyard is now essentially out of use, except possibly for some old family graves.

Saint and Feast Day Associated with Holy Well

This is one of several wells dedicated to Bríde or Brigid in Clare. Brigid’s feast day is 1st February, which is also the first day of spring. This would have been the day to begin preparations for harvesting and planting and the help of the saint would have been invoked in this.

Because the well is now situated within the boundary of the graveyard, people pass by when visiting family graves. It is unlikely that any water is now extracted from the well.

Natural Heritage around the Holy Well

The well is located in a graveyard setting, and there are both graves and tombs around the well. The well contains very little water in dry weather.

Heritage Attractions Nearby

There is a ‘coffin resting stone’ in the wall of the graveyard, with two sets of stone steps on either side to facilitate handling of the coffin before burial.
The Clare Coast, with all it has to offer, is a short distance away from the well site.

Additional Information

Ordnance Survey Letters, 1839:
‘The other traces of antiquities in this Parish are the ruins of Forts and some Holy Wells dedicated to the Blessed Virgin and to the Milesian Saints, Ernán or Ferreolus, Bridget, Innyboy, Laichtin and Cleithean, but as none of these are historical and their names are accurately set down in the Field Name Books, it is unnecessary to repeat them here’