St John’s Well, Newhall, Clare
St. John’s Well, adjacent to the ruins of Killone Abbey, sits on the bank of Killone Lake. The well seems to have been linked to eye cures, being originally attributed to giving sight to a blind man. The main pattern day was 24th June; this would make sense as it is near the feast of St John (and the summer solstice). A old route from Ennis to the well, called the Rocky Road or the Pilgrim’s Road, was used by devotees – sections of it still remain.
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- Approaching the well from the ruined monastery, It is nestled between the northern end of the lake and a wooded incline. You only notice the site when you are very close.
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- Numerous features have been added to the site, including the statue of saint John over the well and the shrine for votives on the right. A statue of Our Lady adorns the old altar, to which a new altar has been added. A large crucifix is clearly dominant, as well. The site is very well tended to.
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- The well with the votives shrine and some offerings. The distinct limestone of the region can be seen in the structure encasing the well.
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- The interior of the well; the water level seem to be rather high.
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- A guide to the rounds of the well are located in the shrine.
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- One of the sections of the Rocky Road leading form the outskirts of Ennis.
Further reading
1937/38 Ennis N.S. Folklore Collection posting on St John’s Well
Clare County Library, information on the St John’s Well