County: Kildare Site name: ST. AUGUSTINE'S WELL, Hillsborough
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: V.J. Keeley, c/o Kildare Co. Council.
Site type: Well
Period/Dating: Modern (AD 1750-AD 2000)
ITM: E 681733m, N 712831m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.159695, -6.777836
One of six sites selected for investigation along the proposed route of the Kilcullen Link Motorway.
The site is marked as a well on the 1837 edition of the O.S. 6" Sheet 23 for Kildare.
A cluster of trees on the eastern slope of Mt. Cawley marked the general area of the well. Although the surrounding region was waterlogged, the actual location of the spring was not visible.
The excavation revealed the source of the well. It was defined by a series of stone settings at the point where the water emerged from the hillside. The feature measured 3m x 2m in maximum area. It is believed that this represents the earliest use of the well. It is also considered to have been a purely functional well, as there was no evidence of it being revered as a holy well.
Several other features uncovered in the vicinity of the well are believed to be associated with the period of occupation of an 18th century house. This lies some 100m to the north east of the well and was uncovered by excavation.
A narrow, artificially constructed channel, extended from the well downslope for some 12.5m. The sides of the channel were composed of a single course of horizontally placed bricks, with overlapping slates forming the base. A series of small, flat stones acted as a covering for the feature. The remains of a similar channel were uncovered several metres to the east. Both of these features obviously represent some type of water supply system for the house.
In addition to the channels, a series of stone walls were located downslope from the well. These also relate to the house and probably represent outhouses and avenue walls. Details to be published in 1989 in the Journal of the Kildare Archaeological Society.
