County: Westmeath Site name: St Feichin's well, Fore
Sites and Monuments Record No.: WM004-035009- Licence number: E005516; C001195
Author: Eoin Halpin
Site type: Holy well
Period/Dating: Early Medieval (AD 400-AD 1099)
ITM: E 651032m, N 770594m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.682578, -7.227503
The public realm enhancement works to Doaghfeighin or St Feichin’s Pool at the historic settlement of Fore, Co. Westmeath, was undertaken by Westmeath County Council Heritage Office, funded by Stream 3 grant support under the 2023 Community Monuments Fund (CMF) managed by the National Monuments Service in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
The works, carried out under ministerial consent C001195, involved the removal of the existing collapsed, and partially collapsed stone wall, which enclosed the holy well on three sides, and replace it with a semi-mature hawthorn hedgerow, planted along the fencing to three sides along the line of the removed enclosing walls. In addition, along the existing footpath, a bespoke low steel railing was designed and installed, presented as a suitable place for votive offerings. This incorporated an interpretative panel and a gate to facilitate maintenance of the site. The space between the hedgerow and pool was to be planted out or kept as grass, to enhance the setting of the well.
Nothing of archaeological interest was noted in the removal of the wall.
In the clearance of the vegetation in and around the well, including the stump and roots of a dead ash tree, it was clear that one of the flanking stones which formed the box-like structure of the well had collapsed. Examination of the report on the works undertaken by Fiona Dillon in 1988, revealed the original position of the southern flanker. It was possible in the course of these latest works, to wrap a sling around the stone and with the aid of a mechanical digger, gently lift the side stone from the floor of the well and replace its eastern end back onto its original position at the south end of the east wall, with the western end of the flanker resting on the crude stone wall, which formed the western side of the structure (see picture). This reflected the situation in 1988 as described by Dillon where she records ‘The pit-like structure is formed by two large flanking stones supported at either end by a cross wall’.
AHC Ltd, 36 Ballywillwill Road, Castlewellan, Co. Down BT31 9LF
