Ballyda (Irish: Baile Dháith)[1] is a small townland in the civil parish of Danesfort in County Kilkenny, Ireland. The townland has an area of approximately 1.4 square kilometres (0.5 sq mi),[2] and is 9 kilometres (6 mi) south of Kilkenny city centre. It had a population of 70 people as of the 2011 census.[3]
Evidence of ancient settlement within Ballyda townland includes a number of ring ditch and enclosure sites.[4]
There is also a holy well site in the townland.[5] This well, known as Lady's Well (Irish: Tobar Mhuire),[6] is included in the Record of Monuments and Places as record number "KK023-075----".[5] As of the late 20th century, a pattern was still celebrated at this well on 15 August each year, to mark the Feast of the Assumption of Mary.[6] Several folkloric tales about Lady's Well are recorded in the Dúchas.ie "Schools' Collection". These include a number of stories which refer to apparitions of the Virgin Mary at the well.[7][8][9] Several stories reflect common themes in the folklore of holy wells generally,[10] such as that water collected from the well will not boil or that stones in the well are spotted with blood.[7][9][11] The origin of the blood at Lady's Well is given as coming from a priest who was killed there by soldiers while saying mass.[12] One folktale tells of a woman whose eyes were cured after bathing her eyes in the well's water.[7][13]
Ballyda, Danesfort, Co. Kilkenny [..] 70
According to the OS Letters (1839), 'There is a holy well called Lady's Well in the Townland of Ballyda, much venerated still and frequented on the 15th of August
Ballyda [..] Tobar Mhuire, Our Lady's Well, still frequented on the 15th of August for devotional purposes is west of a large rath
It was believed locally, for example, that the water of certain wells could not be boiled for domestic purposes [..] red-stained stones situated at or beside holy wells were often believed to be the blood stains of martyr-like clerical persons
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