Folklore & legend

Molly's Well, Whiterock Road

Whiterock Road, west Belfast

Undated

Molly was said to be a strikingly beautiful young woman from a poor family who won the heart of the son of a wealthy landowner. They met in secret each evening beside a well on the edge of the estate and left notes hidden at the well's edge when one could not come.

One evening Molly left a message telling him she was carrying his child. When she returned the next night she found a note from him saying that his family had been outraged and forced him to leave Ireland for Scotland. Heartbroken, she threw herself into the well and drowned.

In later years locals spoke of a weeping figure seen at the well. It gained a fearful reputation and became known as Molly's Well.

The tale explains a place name in a way typical of local legends and has no recorded date.

This site is private property or has no public access. Coordinates shown are rounded and no directions are offered.
Evidence
Long-standing local tradition
Access
No public access
Location
54.591, -5.979 (Parish-level only, treat as an area)

Sources: Spirited Isle, "Whiterock Road, Belfast" [other]

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