Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ritual site - holy well
Derrynavahagh, County Clare, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Derrynavahagh
- County
- Clare
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Toberlonaun
- Latest-edition OS map
- Toberlonaun (1916)
- Coordinates
- 53.09942, -9.22895
- SMR number
- CL005-009----
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1753 "Mappa geographica Regni Hiberniae" (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
Situated near the foot of a NE-facing rocky slope, on the W side of the Caher Valley in hazel scrub and within a multiperiod field system (CL005-014001-). Named ‘Toberlonaun’ on the on the 1840 and 1916 eds. of the OS 6-inch map and ‘Tobar Lonáin’ on Robinson’s (1977) map. O’Donovan and Curry (Comber 1997, 70) assign its dedication to ‘Bishop Lonan or Flannan’ and recorded stations as being performed there in 1839 there (ibid. 94). Tony Kirby (pers. comm.) has recorded testimony of veneration at the well within living memory.
On inspection in 1997 a mountain rivulet was noted at this location but there were no structural remains or evidence of veneration. The rivulet emanates from under a sheer rock-face and flows to the W. Derrynavahagh cashel (CL005-007----) is located c. 150m to the WNW.
Compiled by: Mary Tunney, Olive Alcock and Ros Ó Maoldúin
Date of upload: 29 September 2021
References
Robinson, T. 1977 (revised 1999) The Burren: a two-inch map of the uplands of north-west Clare. Map scale 1:31680. Roundstone: Folding Landscapes.
Comber, M. (ed.) 1997 The antiquities of County Clare: John O’Donovan and Eugene Curry: Ordnance Survey Letters 1839. Clasp Press. Ennis.
Nearby in the register
- Ringfort - cashelunder 1 mi
- Enclosureunder 1 mi
- Enclosureunder 1 mi
- Enclosureunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.