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Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland

Ritual site - holy well

An Bhinn Dubh, County Donegal, Ireland

Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915) covering the location of Ritual site - holy well, An Bhinn Dubh, County Donegal, with a pin at the register's coordinates
Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915), covering this location. Courtesy of the National Library of Scotland. The pin is ours, placed from the register's coordinates.

The record

Townland
An Bhinn Dubh
County
Donegal
Country
Ireland
First-edition OS map
Holy Well
Latest-edition OS map
Holy Well
Coordinates
54.81872, -7.95563
SMR number
DG076-005----

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

4 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1881 map "Ireland to Illustrate the Military Condition of the Country." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).

Historical maps covering this location

  • 1881 · Ireland to Illustrate the Military Condition of the Country. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1891 · Ireland 16 (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1900 · Ireland (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1922 · Ireland - northern section. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)

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This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗

The National Monuments Service's description

A stone-built, flag-covered well with a small basinstone .5m long and 0.25m wide set beside it. It is known as an 'Angelus Well' and is situated at the base of a small grassy knoll. Described by Ó Muirgheasa in 1936 as 'Tobar na n-Aingeal, or "The Well of the Angels", is in Tondubh, near Ballykerrigan. Stations are still made there on May Eve, which suggests a pagan origin. There is a tradition that a priest hunted in the penal days made for this well, and on reaching it began to make the Stations to the angels. Soon he was enveloped in a thick fog, which utterly baffled his pursuers' (Ó Muirgheasa 1936, 155). (Ó Muirgheasa No. 77)

The above description was derived from the 'Archaeological Survey of County Donegal. A description of the field antiquities of the County from the Mesolithic Period to the 17th century.' Compiled by: Brian Lacey with Eamon Cody, Claire Cotter, Judy Cuppage, Noel Dunne, Vincent Hurley, Celie O'Rahilly, Paul Walsh and Seán Ó Nualláin (Lifford: Donegal County Council, 1983). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated.

Compiled by Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload/revision: 04 November 2011

Nearby in the register

Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.

Sites and Monuments Record data: National Monuments Service, Government of Ireland, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Record text is reproduced unchanged. National Monuments Service, Government of Ireland · CC BY 4.0
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