Lady's Well, Danesfort

Lady's Well (Irish: Tobar Mhuire) is a holy well dedicated to the Virgin Mary in the townland of Ballyda, parish of Danesfort, Co. Kilkenny. It is situated c.1km South of Danesfort village on private land.

Lady's Well with a statue of the Virgin Mary in the background

The holy well once gave its name to the area it is located in resulting in the (now ruinous) school being called Ladyswell School.

The holy well is a recorded monument under the Sites and Monuments no. KK023-075----.

The pattern is still celebrated at this holy well on August 15th, the traditional feast day associated with Our Lady.

Folklore

The holy well in Ballyda is the holy well with the second most references (seven) in the Schools' Collection for County Kilkenny after Lady's Well in Castlemarket with eight references.

One account tells of a woman from Callan whose eyes were cured after bathing her eyes in the water repeatedly. One account gives her name as Miss Cass.

Several accounts mention stones spotted with blood, not an uncommon theme in accounts of holy wells. Another example is Trinity Well in Ballyrafton. The origin of the blood at Lady's Well is given as coming from a priest who was killed there by soldiers while saying mass.

In one account, the leaves of the hawthorn bushes around the holy well are also covered in spots of blood.

Several accounts speak of apparitions of the Virgin Mary at the well.

It is also reported in the Schools' Collection that the water collected in this holy well will not boil which is another common theme in stories about holy wells.

Gallery

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  Pattern day 2023
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  Lady's Well after the pattern mass in 2023