Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

In an area of undulating rough pasture and outcropping rock within a large field system (CL009-059001-). Indicated and named ‘Tobermogua’ on the 1842 and 1920 eds. of the OS 6-inch map. In 1839 the OS Letters (Comber 1997, 61) recorded that while the well was known locally as Tobar Mo Ghua and that it was believed that a pattern was formerly held at it on 10th February, its true name was probably Tobar Mic Duach and the pattern was more likely held on 3rd February, which was St. Mac Duach’s day ‘according to all the Calendars.’ Frost (1893, 29) recorded that it was dedicated to St. Colman MacDuach.
The well is defined by a small hollow (Wth c. 1m) in the W face of a band of rock outcrop (H 2m) running roughly NNW-SSE. A small terraced area between it and a drystone wall to its W is periodically soaked with water from it. There is a drainage outlet through the stone wall at the S end of the terrace. On inspection the well was dry and no votive offerings were noted but Cooke (1842) recorded the practice of placing small ‘whitish round flat stones’ on the wall. A holy tree (CL009-059128-) is associated with it. A medieval church (CL009-059023-) and graveyard (CL009-059024-) lie c. 85m to the SW.

Compiled by: Olive Alcock and Conn Herriott

Date of upload: 30 March 2022

References

Frost, J. 1893 The history and topography of the County of Clare, from the earliest times to the 18th century. Dublin. Sealy, Bryers and Walker.

Comber, M. (ed.) 1997 The antiquities of County Clare: John O’Donovan and Eugene Curry: Ordnance Survey Letters 1839. Clasp Press. Ennis.