Creation and Destruction - St Boden's Well
Posted on Monday, February 28 @ 16:26:45 GMT on stephen |
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Gary writes: "on going exploring in County Wicklow
On Saturday, 26 February, I visited the site of St Boden's Well in Lacken (on the shores of Blessington Lake) in Co Wicklow.
I understand that the original St Boden's Well was submerged into the Lake after it was flooded in the 1940's. However, I was fascinated to hear that the water had been piped to the shore and an alternative well constructed.
I found the 'location' of this well, but could not find any structure at all.
I made local enquiries and spoke with an old man in the shop on the main 'Lake Drive' road.
He explained that when the well was submerged, a large number of locals were upset that their well was being taken away from them against their will, and vowed that the next opportunity they had, they'd do something about it.
In 1977, when the level of the lake was lowered to allow repairs to be done on the Poulaphouca Dam, he and a number of locals piped the water from the well to the shore and constructed an exact replica of the original well.
He advised that they had even removed the original Granite Cross from the submerged well and re-erected it on the new well.
Unfortunately this cross was stolen a week after it was erected, and the well was so mistreated and vandalised by weekenders to Blessington that its waters were not safe for consumption.
People stopped visiting and maintaining it as all their good work was being undone each weekend by the drunken shennanigans of 'outsiders'.
This gentleman could not say whether the well was still there or not, as nobody visits it anymore and my searches could not reveal anything. The entire structure is now either very overgrown, or has been removed totally.
A sad ending to what could have been a 'fairytale rescue'.
Gary Branigan
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