Calliaghstown

St. Columcille's Well, Calliaghstown

Holy well named after St. Columcille at Calliaghstown, Co. Meath.

Courtesy of Meath County Libraries

St. Columcille's Well, Calliaghstown
Courtesy of Meath County Libraries

St. Columcille's Well, Calliaghstown

Holy well named after St. Columcille at Calliaghstown, Co. Meath.

Courtesy of Meath County Libraries

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According to Dean Cogan, "the old parish of Bury (now part of the Union of Kells) was anciently under the patronage of St. Ultan, and there was a well on the townland called Tobar Ultan, which, however, no longer exists."   That was written a hundred and fifty years ago, but in the list of townlands, parishes and baronies compiled for Civil Bill pur­poses in 1919, Tobarultan is given as a townland in the parish of Bury, barony of Upper Kells.
 

At Killua there is a well to a woman saint whose name is anglicised as Lucy, and in the same parish a Tobar Cummain. There is a Kevin's Well in Clonabraney, and other wells dedicated to the same saint in neighbouring parishes. Kilskyre has at least three holy wells, one dedi­cated to St. Scire.

Among the dozens of other wells throughout the diocese, Dean Cogan notes the well of St. Boethin in the parish of Rathboyne. The pronunciation of Boethin is so close to Boyne in sound that it has become thus anglicised. This Boethin, called the Great Monk, was, like Odhran, a close friend of Colmcille's, and was with him when old age forced the great scribe to lay down his pen, saying, "I have done. Let Boethin write the rest."