Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

Located in the N half of an ecclesiastical enclosure (DG084-001001-), and c. 15m N of a graveyard (DG084-001002-) which is located in the S half of an oval enclosure (DG084-084-001011-).
This holy well is not indicated on the 1836 OS 6-inch map; it is named ‘St Columbkille’s Well’ on the 1907 edition. It consists of a natural spring confined within a shaft lined with roughly coursed stones. A wooden cover closes the top of the well. Two penitential cairns (DG084-001009-; DG084-001010-) flank the well. According to local tradition, water from the well is said to cure toothache, and ailments of farm stock. The traditional devotional ‘pattern’ or ‘turas’ began with the recitation of a set sequence of prayers (three Paters, three Aves, three Glories) at the well, followed by a walking circuit of the graveyard, with the same set of prayers recited at each of the three penitential cairns (DG084-001005-; DG084-001006-; DG084-001007-) within the graveyard. The penitential cairns were circled clockwise, and a small stone was placed on each cairn. Pilgrims then proceeded to the ‘arch’ enclosure (DG84-001012-), where further prayers were recited, and those with ailments climbed through the arch and placed a stone on top of it. The ‘turas’ concluded back at the holy well. (Beglane et al. 2016, 16-18; Appendix 2).

Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy

Date of revised upload: 8 August 2017

References

Beglane, F., Meehan, H., and Nugent, L. 2016 Conservation Management Plan for the ecclesiastical enclosure and pilgrim landscape of Diset, Inver parish, Co. Donegal. November 2016. Unpublished report submitted to the NMS.