A spring in a suburban field
St Colmcille’s Well sits in a little field on the east side of the Ballycullen Road in Knocklyon, about 200 yards from the front gate of Orlagh (the old Augustinian retreat centre). A short path leads over a small bridge across a stream to the well itself, where a spring runs over a worn bullaun stone – said to be the print of the saint’s knee – into a stone basin, with a statue of Colmcille standing in a niche above it. It is a genuinely peaceful spot for a few minutes off the road, though the traffic noise and the odd bit of dumped rubbish along the verge stop it feeling remote.
History and legend
The well is older than the saint attached to it – a pre-Christian spring given a Christian story. Tradition says Colmcille, who lived at the monastery of St Mobhí in Glasnevin before founding Iona, stopped here to drink on one of his journeys to Glendalough and blessed the water. It is known as Tobar na Cluas, the Well of the Ear, and its water was believed to cure ailments of the eyes, ears and throat.
By the early twentieth century the spring had been all but forgotten, choked with growth. In 1914 a Rathfarnham postman, Jimmy Murray, rediscovered it, and students from the Augustinian novitiate at nearby Orlagh took the site in hand – clearing it, laying it out and building the bridge you cross today. A statue of the saint, carved in Italy, was set up over the well; accounts of the year differ, giving 1914, 1917 or 1919. A memorial Celtic cross stands in the grounds.
One vanished custom is worth a mention: a tree once overhung the well, and people hammered so many devotional medals into its bark that it looked scaled like a fish, until it finally fell in 1960.
What you’ll see
- The statue niche – a gable-fronted stone niche holding the figure of Colmcille, with rough paving set around the well opening.
- The water garden and bridge – a short wooden bridge over the stream leads in, the still water usually mirroring the sky.
- The Celtic cross – a modest memorial cross among the planting.
- Old practices – some visitors still drink from the spring or leave small tokens, keeping the folk tradition of the cures alive.
Pilgrimage
Once a year the site holds an ecumenical prayer service on the Sunday nearest Colmcille’s feast day, 9 June, drawing parishioners and visitors. Come early if you’re attending in summer – the field is small and fills quickly.
Getting there and practical tips
- Access – on the Ballycullen Road, a short walk from the Orlagh gate. A low gate secures the water source itself, but the garden and bridge stay open.
- Parking – no car park; a little on-street parking on the Ballycullen Road. Don’t block driveways.
- Terrain – steps lead down from the road to the water and there is no ramp, so the approach is awkward for anyone with limited mobility.
- Facilities – none on site. Knocklyon village has cafés and shops a few minutes away.
- Contact – ask Knocklyon Parish about group visits or the June service through the parish website.
Nearby
- Orlagh – the former Augustinian centre whose community restored the well, its grounds a short walk off.
- Knocklyon village – cafés, a small shopping centre and bus links to Rathfarnham and beyond.
Bring a bottle if you want to taste the spring, and give yourself five minutes on the steps – for a well hemmed in by houses and a busy road, it slows the pace more than you’d expect.