Other Forms of the Name with authority source (if provided) in italics:
Toberreendoney
Tober Righ an Domhnaigh
Tobar Rioghan Donaidh
Tobberdony Dennis Ford of Tubberdony Village Shopkeeper
Tobber-Righ an Donay Dennis Ford of Tubberdony Village Shopkeeper
Description:
Tobberdony Holy Well stands in a village of this name in the townland of Rathwilladoon in the Parish of Beagh, Co. Galway. It is enclosed by a circular fence of rude stone piled up without any mortar or cement. The well is situated in the North East side of the circle surrounded by a circular wall of lime and stone work about 3 or 4 feet high, with a small opening on the East, where the penitents descend by stone steps down to the water in the well, after performing these stations in other parts round the well. There is a small House in the South West of the circle for the [Unable to read.] [Unable to read.] of sick persons who come to this well for relief, over the door, cut out stone flag is the following [Unable to read.] "Pray for the soul of Nelly[Unable to read.] Firench[Unable to read.] who made this monument 1711" little to the South of this House stands an alter under two very old and [Unable to read.] ash trees; the under part of this altar is built with rough stone and covered at top with a smooth flag, another flag at the back of it in the wall and one at both ends set up [Unable to read.] which makes it appear like our old [Unable to read.] Aran[Unable to read.] Chair.[Unable to read.] [Unable to read.] [Unable to read.] [Unable to read.] [Unable to read.] the following [Unable to read.] in letters:- Pray for the soul of Helen O'Brien alias Kelly alias O'Shaughnessy who made the wall round this well 9th May 1717. Tradition asserts that the water in this well cannot be made to boil by fire. It appears to be a general rule for those who perform stations at this well to put off their shoes during the Ceremony. Some years ago a woman not having the fear of God before her eyes stole a pair of shoes belonging to another woman at this time engaged at her penitential duties. The thief attempted several times to get over the stone fence, but was restrained each time by an invisible hand until she was obliged to leave back the shoes in the same place from which she stole them and then she was permitted to get over the fence without any hindrance and take to her heels with all which runs dry in summer and is not considered as having any virtue, although stations are performed at it, and prayers rehearsed. There are large rocks and heaps of smaller stones in the inside of this circle which makes it difficult in some places to walk through it. Several old decayed ash trees which have fallen by the hand of time lie transversely inside the circle in the same position as when they fell, and smouldering final decay, but on no account will any person be suffered to pay hands on them or burn them, a birch tree which had been growing inside the circle was uprooted by storm except some of the small fibres. This tree in its fall was stopped by the branch of another tree against which it still leans, the top of this fallen tree covers the Holy Well in form of a canopy. The tree still [Unable to read.] in full bloom in the season notwithstanding the damage it has sustained in its roots. This is considered to be the work of providence.Authority for the traditional part Dennis Ford of Tobberdong Village.Hugh Brady, Civil Assistant.Sergt. Knowles, R.S.V. Miners[Unable to read.], Examined this place.
Situation:
In the townland of Rathwilladoon, Parish of Beagh, Barony of Kiltartan and County Galway and in the village of Tobberdony.