Of all the wells throughout Ireland dedicated to Saint Patrick, the Struell wells must be the most famous. It is said that Saint Patrick travelled throughout Ireland using wells to baptize his new converts and in some cases to demonstrate the power of God with healing acts or with expressions of powerful piety and dedication. At Struell wells, there is a story of how Patrick used to bathe under a fountain of flowing water.

Struell Wells was built around a stream flowing through a secluded valley. It was a popular place of pilgrimage from the 1600s until the 1840s. The waters were believed to have curative powers and the site has a ruined church, 2 bath-houses (one for men, one for women) and two roofed wells, all fed by the stream.

Comments

Your name



Details

Founded: 17th century
Category: Religious sites in United Kingdom

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Cathal Lyons (afootandahalf) (2 years ago)
Interesting place, just wish the wells were not locked. You can still see into most but would have been better if opened so we could enter inside.
Sarah McCaffrey (2 years ago)
Well worth a visit - a magical place
Alan Elder (2 years ago)
Very interesting Holy Wells and Bath house in small enclosed site. Car park adjacent.
PW (3 years ago)
An quite interesting although small site. There are a few information boards around the site. There is free car parking for approximately six vehicles. There are no other facilities. Sadly there was some dog mess lying in the grass so watch where you put your feet. This site is worthwhile visiting for a short time if you are in the local area.
Aaron Coey (3 years ago)
The area of South Down within the triangle of Downpatrick, Ardglass and Strangford is rich with these small beautiful monuments to a long gone past where you can spend as much time as you like with the raw beauty of mans interaction with nature, and this is raw!
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Doune Castle

Doune Castle was originally built in the thirteenth century, then probably damaged in the Scottish Wars of Independence, before being rebuilt in its present form in the late 14th century by Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany (c. 1340–1420), the son of King Robert II of Scots, and Regent of Scotland from 1388 until his death. Duke Robert"s stronghold has survived relatively unchanged and complete, and the whole castle was traditionally thought of as the result of a single period of construction at this time. The castle passed to the crown in 1425, when Albany"s son was executed, and was used as a royal hunting lodge and dower house.

In the later 16th century, Doune became the property of the Earls of Moray. The castle saw military action during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms and Glencairn"s rising in the mid-17th century, and during the Jacobite risings of the late 17th century and 18th century.