| Holy Wells
© Clockwise from top left:Tobereendoney well, Lady's well,
St Brigid's well and St Michael's well.
According to Kevin Danaher's "The Holy Wells of Co. Limerick",
there are a number of wells in the parish. All of the wells are in the
Ballingaddy side of the parish.
St Michael's well is situated on the lands of Tom Hurley in Kilmihill.
On the lands of Paddy Herbert, there are three Holy Wells called St Bridget's
well, Tobereendoney and Lady's well. No devotions or traditions take place
at any of the four wells anymore. We would like to thank Lil Mulvihill
for helping us to locate these wells.
The Holy Well on the Tipperary road is also called Toberreendoney, which
means 'the well of the King of the Sunday'. It is situated about ¼
mile from Kilmallock. The travelling community has maintained the well.
The well is small and circular and is stone lined. Over the well there
is a small statue of Our Lady in a small niche. There is also a wooden
cross behind the well.
The water from the well is believed to cure sore eyes. Two legends are
known about the well according to Danaher. Those who are cured of eye
ailments see a trout in the well. In the 1930s a Kilmallock man, who had
returned from America blind, was cured when he did the rounds there. Also
a black dog appeared at the well and locally the well is called the 'Black
Dog well'.
© Toberreendoney well
Danaher mentions three wells that he believed were not actually
Holy Wells. The well at Tankardstown South was near the church in Tankardstown
but the name is forgotten. The two other wells were Tobernaguppaun in
Bawntard South and Toberkinangle in Glenfield. We found no evidence of
these wells.
Grottoes
© Photos of Grottoes in Kilmallock
In the parish there are two grottoes to Mary. One grotto
is situated in the town of Kilmallock besides the curate's house. The
second grotto is on the same hill as Cill Mocheallóg's first church.
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