St. Patrick’s Well, Morristown

Survey site description

This warm spring issues at the surface in the townland of Morristown, Co. Kildare. The spring site itself has been covered and is now housed within a holy well chamber with one side open for access. A graveyard has been located adjacent to the warm spring. The spring is characterised by a strong constant flow of water which overflows via a drainage dyke into the River Liffey (running approximately 40 m away). The substratum is composed of a combination of gravel and muddy organic debris (leaf litter). The well chamber water surface is approximately 2 m2.

Macroinvertebrate / faunal survey 

St Patrick's well in Morristown was sampled during spring, summer and autumn. Overall, species richness was low, with only three species recorded in spring, four in summer and one in autumn. One Hemipteran (Velia caprai) was recorded in spring. The water louse Asellus aquaticus, and the subterranean amphipod Niphargus kochianus irlandicus - Schellenberg, were recorded in the first survey and again in the second survey in addition to a lumbricid worm, and dipteran larvae from the family Psychodidae. Niphargus kochianus irlandicus (in low numbers) was the only macroinvertebrate recorded from this site in autumn.

Physico-chemistry 

Temperature did not vary greatly, ranging from 13.5oC and 13.4oC in spring and summer respectively to 12.9oC in autumn. pH ranged from 7.23 to 7.6, conductivity was recorded between 507 and 513 µS/cm, and oxygen remained close to 1 mg/l and 10% saturation on all occasions.

Aquatic macrophyte survey 

The only flora recorded were, the moss Fontinalis antipyretica and the liverwort Conocephalum conicum. These were found growing around the sheltered well chamber wall at water surface level.

Other notable features 

Niphargus kochianus irlandicus - Schellenberg is a subspecies of Niphargus kochianus restricted to Ireland. The amphipod has been recorded from numerous localities across central Ireland and extends into Co. Kerry in the southwest inhabiting caves, wells, lake bottoms and other subterranean waters (Giller et al, 1998). It has been recorded previously at this well (Thorne, 1998). The only known hypogeans in Ireland are the shrimps Niphargus kochianus irlandicus and Niphargus wexfordensis. Ireland is the northern limit of distribution of Niphargus kochianus in Europe (Costello, 1992).

Tufa deposition was noted on mosses and liverworts and on the walls of the well chamber at this site. Decaying leaf material was abundant at the well floor.

© Ecological Consultancy Services Ltd 2003