Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ritual site - holy well
Gleninsheen, County Clare, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Gleninsheen
- County
- Clare
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Holy Well (1916)
- Coordinates
- 53.07189, -9.14959
- SMR number
- CL005-137----
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
On elevated limestone pavement with views N towards Galway Bay and within a multiperiod field system (CL005-104001-). Not recorded on the first edition (1842) of the OS 6-inch map; marked and labelled ‘Holy Well’ on the Cassini edition (1916) of the OS 6-inch map. Known as having a cure for toothache (Doolan 1992, 169). It comprises a pair of natural solution hollows. The larger (L 0.3m; Wth 0.24m; D 0.5m) is partially enclosed on the NW by a small drystone cairn (L c. 1m; Wth c. 1m; H c. 0.5m). A rudimentary shelf within the cairn formed by a flat stone partially covers the ‘well’ and hosts votive offerings including, coins, lighters, toothbrushes, and other personal objects. The smaller ‘well’ is located c. 2m to the SW and is also partly enclosed on the NW by a small drystone cairn.
Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy and Eve Campbell
Date of upload: 29-9-2025
References
Doolan, L. 1991 Lore and cures and blessed wells. In J. W. O'Connell and A. Korff (eds.), The book of the Burren, 155-71. Tír Eolas, Newtownlynch, Kinvara, Co. Galway.
Nearby in the register
- Megalithic tomb - wedge tombunder 1 mi
- Cairn - unclassifiedunder 1 mi
- Cairn - unclassifiedunder 1 mi
- Fulacht fiaunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.