The Well of Malahide

Unusual for an Irish town, Sylvester the patron of Malahide is not Irish.   

Some say he was the Roman Pope and martyr who died in 335.  When the Normans came to Malahide they claimed he was the 10th century French Pope of that name, one of their own. 

Today it is generally accepted that he was the Sylvester who came to Ireland with Palladius in 430, before St Patrick.  

For some time I have been trying to trace the activities of Palladius and his companions before St Patrick appeared on the scene. They built churches in the Wicklow area (which I have visited) and then began to move north, perhaps hoping to be meet the King at Tara.

One of them, Secundus, got as far as Dunshaughlin, 11km from the Royal Hill. So it is possible that another, Sylvester, was at Malahide on the nearby coast. The only problem is that he is recorded as buried in Donard, in Wicklow. Maybe he returned there? Tracing the early days of Christianity in Ireland can be both fascinating and frustrating.  

Today Sylvester is known in Malahide for his well. His name is also on the parish church and local GAA club but of the three only the well goes back to his time.

It still stands on Old Street, covered by a conical ‘hut’ similar to the dwelling of an early Irish monk (though that would be after Sylvester’s time). 

Up until 1929 the well provided drinking water for the villagers and was famous for its medicinal properties.

As late as the 1890's an eel was inserted into its waters. Ells have long been considered magical because ‘an eel will not die before sunset, an eel skin makes a lucky belt for the wearer, horsehairs will turn into eels, juice or soup of the eel is a cure for stomach cancer and so on’.

However they also helped keep the water pure as they will eat grubs, mites and aquatic insects which could otherwise contaminate the well.

Today there is water in the well but no eels. Chemically treated water is piped into the town and the well is covered to prevent people falling in. Malahide is no longer a fishing village but a prosperous resort-cum-commuter town with a scenic Castle and a marina. Sylvester wouldn’t know it.  

I hope to find more traces of Sylvester and his companions.  If anyone has come across their trail please let me know. What brought them to Ireland, why are they no longer of interest?

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