Ancient well under new Luas line 'will be preserved'

AN ancient holy well blessed by St Patrick himself that has been lying underneath the pavement near Dublin's Trinity College since the fourth century will not be destroyed, according to the Railway Procurement Agency. 

Historian Gary Branigan, author of "Ancient and Holy Wells of Dublin" feared that the €368m Luas Cross City construction project to link the Red and Green lines of the Luas tram line would result in St Patrick's Well being filled in or otherwise destroyed in order to ensure that the tram line is structurally sound.

The proposed route of the €368m Luas Cross City construction project to link the Red and Green lines of the Luas tram from St Stephen's Green to Broombridge will pass directly over the well, located under Trinity College Provost's House at the entrance to the university's Arts building on Nassau Street. 

This prompted fears that the ancient site would be lost forever.

The well originally went down about 40 feet but has silted up to about four feet deep.