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Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland

Ritual site - holy well

Ballymacahil, County Donegal, Ireland

Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915) covering the location of Ritual site - holy well, Ballymacahil, 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
Ballymacahil
County
Donegal
Country
Ireland
First-edition OS map
Not marked
Latest-edition OS map
Not marked
Coordinates
54.68255, -8.25740
SMR number
DG092-023----

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)
  • 1904 · Sheet 4. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1922 · Ireland - northern section. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)

Get directions ↗

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

The National Monuments Service's description

Spring well on the WSW side of a modern NNE-SSW laneway. The ENE half is defined by a very low wall with two concrete steps leading down to the water level. On the WSW side is a substantial, two-storey, approximately rectangular structure. At the basal level is a wooden door. The lower half of the door is absent. However in front of the opening is a large ladle, presumably used for pilgrims to take holy water from the well. The upper portion of the doorway is occupied by a Latin cross. The upper level of this structure is a relatively large rectangular chamber. The NNE, SSW and WSW sides and the roof are each built of single concrete slabs. The ENE side is open. Within the chamber is a statue of the Virgin Mary within a rectangular setting, the base and sides of which contain numerous votive offerings. Above this is a triangular plaque containing the following inscription: 'To prevent any understanding in connection with the Holy Well at Ballymacahill when I am gone, I hearby declare that I have blessed it on Sunday, October 3rd 1909 and dedicated it to Our Lady of the Rosary Fifteen Decades are the prayers prescribed Signed: Rev. Charles Gallagher, Killian Dated: 19th Day of August, 1944.' On the ENE side of the laneway is a wooden pew.

Attached images (taken on 13th October 2013):
DG092-023----_01.JPG Holy well viewed from SSW
DG092-023----_02.JPG Holy well viewed from E.
DG092-023----_03.JPG Upper part of well structure
DG092-023----_04.JPG Opening to waters of spring at base of well structure

Compiled by: Patrick F. O'Donovan

Date of upload: 18 October 2013

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
All Ritual site - holy well in Donegal All County Donegal records All Ireland Heritage registers Historical markers (US)National Register of Historic Places (US)
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