St Colman’s Well, also known as St Clavin’s Well, is a spring well in Kilclonfert, County Offaly. It is situated under trees behind the local national school.
St. Colman of Cloyne (c. 522–600 AD)
“Once a poet of kings, Colman laid aside his harp to sing for God, and the wells and stones of Ireland still bear his name.”
St. Colman was a poet and royal bard who left the courts of Munster to follow Christ, baptized by St. Brendan the Navigator. He founded the great monastery of Cloyne in Cork and became its first bishop.
The Origin Story of the Holy Well
One evening, in the ruins of the old church and graveyard, a man with the surname Mangan was walking the old Monk’s Path, returning home across the fields, when he came across the apparition of a priest preparing to celebrate Mass. The priest, however, could not begin the celebration as he had no one to serve.
The priest asked Mr. Mangan if he would serve the Mass, and he obliged. At the completion of the Mass, the priest told Mr. Mangan that a well would spring up and that he would become the caretaker of the Holy Well. He instructed Mr. Mangan to clean the well each year between dawn and dusk on August 14th, and that before his death, he should pass this tradition onto his son in perpetuity.
At the completion of the Mass, the priest and altar disappeared, and a well of clear water immediately sprang up.
Soon after, stories of cures from the well started to circulate and St. Colmans Well became a place of pilgrimage for believers.
Other Stories
A story often associated with St Colman’s Well tells of a Protestant family named Odlum who once owned the land where the well stood. They tried to prevent the local people from visiting it, and to accomplish this, they filled the well with stones and clay. The next day, the well sprang up in their own drawing room and remained there until, on the advice of a neighbour, they reopened the original one.
Cures and Curiosities
The water is never supposed to boil.
Said to cure warts, headaches, and toothache.
Visiting
The well is open to the public throughout the year; however, most people visit during the feast from Lady Day in August (Aug 15th) to Lady Day in September (Sept 8th).
Name
It is said that, when passing the area centuries ago, St Colman visited and blessed this Holy Well. The local people have associated his name with it ever since.
The Mangan Family
The first recorded caretaker of the Holy Well was Conn (or Conleth) Mangan from Daingean, Co. Offaly.
Ambrose Mangan from Tullamore later took over and continued the tradition in his lifetime. He then passed it to his son, Joe Mangan from Foxford, Co. Mayo, as the principal caretaker, along with his brother Ignatius (“Eggie”) Mangan from Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
Joe and Ignatius remained dedicated to maintaining, improving, and cleaning the well throughout their lifetime.
Joe then passed the care of the well onto his son Francis, along with his brother Joseph Mangan, who are currently the caretakers of St Colman’s Well.
Cleaning
Each year the caretaker of the Well is tasked with drinking from it, then cleaning while reciting decades of the Rosary until the work is complete.
A Warning
While St Colman’s Well is known for its cures, it is also known to curse those who disrespect it.
One story tells of a man who did not believe in the power of the Well. In an act of disrespect, he allowed his horse to drink from it. The next day, the man found his horse dead, and shortly after, he himself passed away suddenly.
Other stories tell of people going blind, or becoming ill, after disrespecting or damaging the Well.
In memory of Ambrose, Joe & Ignatius Mangan.