Meeting hears of new proposals for St John's Well
A resolution to the St John’s Well situation in Drumree looks to be possible as the owners of Warrenstown House, the property on which it is located, and Meath County Council are proposing a new public access.
Controversy arose just over a month ago when it was discovered that the well structure had been removed, and access to the well, which is on private property, was not possible.
For centuries, people had been visiting the well which is regarded to be holy and to have healing powers, a situation which pertained under the previous owners of the well, the Salesian Order. However, in selling its former rectory in 2015, the Order failed to make provision for access to the well.
At the fourth public meeting on the issue last Thursday night in Dunsany Hall, Cllr Brian Fitzgerald put forward a proposal from the current owners, Francis and Marie Smith, suggesting that a new access point be provided to the well, which does not interfere with the private driveway, with a fenced pathway to the well through woods.
Meath County Council would take ownership of the well and access and enter into a legal agreement with the Smiths in that regard.
The majority of the attendance of 50 at the meeting agreed to this proposal, with the proviso that the plans be put on display for consultation.
A second proposal that a ceremony take place on the roadside outside Warrenstown House, with water supplied from the well, was also agreed. However, the council and clergy were unhappy with the suggestion of a roadside event, and a request was made to Colaiste na bhFiann, the Irish language college which owns the former Warrenstown College buildings, for use of the chapel at the college.
The college has agreed to this and Fr Joe Clavin, PP, Dunshaughlin, will conduct a prayer ceremony there at 7pm on Sunday next, 24th June, to mark St John’s Day, using water from the well.
Local Fianna Fáil TD Thomas Byrne welcomed the development, saying: "I met with the owners some weeks ago and was very encouraged by their willingness to work with the local community in facilitating access to the well. I'm really pleased that this latest proposal largely satisfies both the owners and the local community. It means that the devotees of the well can access the site in a safe and respectful way in the coming years, while not impinging on the privacy of the owners. It should be kept in mind that this work will take some time to complete and I would ask people to be patient while these works are ongoing. I want to thank the Smith family for their co operation and commitment to deliver this. I also want to thank Cllr Brian Fitzgerald who worked with both the community and the owners. I look forward to joining with the community on Sunday 24th June," concluded Deputy Byrne.
Meanwhile, several meetings have taken place between the National Monuments Service, Meath County Council, and the landowners with a view to re-instating the structure around the well, according to Minister for State for European Affairs, Helen McEntee, who attended the previous meeting in Dunsany.
The structure included a Recorded National Monument, and it was agreed that its current position is compromised and action needs to be taken to ensure that its conservation, and the context of the holy well, is secured, while addressing the owners’ health and safety concerns.
A further meeting between the owners and the State agencies was due to take place this week.