Holy Wells

Name: St. Brigid’s Holy Well, Faughart

Irish Name: 

Meaning: A sacred spring dedicated to St. Brigid, associated with healing and pilgrimage.

County: Louth

Province: Leinster

Patron Saint: St. Brigid

Traditions: Pilgrims traditionally visited the well on 1 February, the feast of St. Brigid. Recorded customs include praying at the well, making devotional rounds, and seeking relief from headaches and other pains. Folklore describes a skull once kept beside the well, from which people drank water as part of a healing ritual. Rags have also been tied to nearby vegetation as votive offerings. These are historical beliefs and customs, rather than evidence of medical cures.

Story: 

On Faughart Hill, north of Dundalk, tradition places the birthplace of St. Brigid, one of Ireland’s best-loved saints. Within the old graveyard, beside the remains of a medieval church, stands her holy well, a small sacred structure whose stone canopy gives it a distinctive appearance.

The well was visited by people seeking healing, especially for headaches and other pains. A story preserved in the National Folklore Collection recalls a skull kept beside the well, from which pilgrims drank water as part of a healing custom. The well was also a destination for devotional rounds on St. Brigid’s feast day, 1 February.

Faughart’s significance extends beyond the spring itself. The surrounding landscape includes the saint’s shrine, ancient stones associated with healing, and a long tradition of pilgrimage. Together, these places have helped sustain devotion to Brigid across generations, connecting her reputation for generosity and care with the living faith of the Irish people.