Home

About Templeport Development Association

Map & Templeport Townlands

History

Events

Sales

Support & email address

Ambitions & Objectives

Links & Contact info

This is the first History page	History	Next 2. The Bawn - Bawnboy
	1. St. Patrick's Well

In the townland of Mullaghlea and quite close to Brackley Lake is St Patrick's Well. An annual pattern* was held here until the 1920s. Patterns also took place at St. Patrick's Wells in Curran (near Kilnavart) and Bellaleenan. Bellaleenan pattern was celebrated up to 1950.

The well at Brackley has been restored in recent years and paling placed around it. This isn't true any longer but we hope to soon re-instate it to its former glory! It produces clear crystal spring water, much appreciated by visitors for drinking. A practice at Mullaghlea, a parallel to the rush knotting at Bellaleenan was to have a small scrap of cloth on a bush nearby.

 * Brewer’s Dictionary of Irish Phrase & Fable (ed. McMahon & O’Donoghue, 2004) defines a pattern as “a particular form of devotion at a church, holy well or some other place of pilgrimage”.  The word ‘pattern’ – associated with parishes in past centuries observing the feast day of its own patron saint in a special way - is derived from the Irish word ‘pátrún’or ‘patron’.

The well as it is now. (April 2008)

A photograph from Chris Maguire's book, Templeport - History Heritage & Folklore