Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ritual site - holy well
Fanaghans, County Donegal, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Fanaghans
- County
- Donegal
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- St. Naals Well
- Coordinates
- 54.64616, -8.29206
- SMR number
- DG098-004----
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesLionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division, The New York Public LibraryDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 5 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1702 "A chart of the NORTH-WEST coast of IRELAND from LOUGH SWILLY to SLYNE HEAD" (Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division, The New York Public Library).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
St. Naul's Well, a modernised 'holy well'. It is located on fairly good land on a SSE slope above the sea. Described by Ó Muirgheasa in 1936 as 'A Holy Well on the steep sloping seaside at Fanaghan has been traditionally associated with this miracle [that of St. Naal's drawing water from the rock], and was once the centre of a great annual pilgrimage. Even in recent times the presence of votive offerings and discarded sticks attest cures, but the station has now declined to negligible dimensions." Thus Dr. Maguire abridged. The Well is near Inver' (Ó Muirgheasa 1936, 145). (Ó Muirgheasa No. 14)
Archaeological testing was carried out in the vicinity of the holy well in 2001 and the summary results of this excavation are given below.
Excavation licence number 01E0120
Testing was carried out in the townland of Fanaghans, Inver, Co. Donegal, on 17 February 2001. The proposed development entails the construction of three detached dwelling-houses and associated services and access road. The site is on a south-west-facing hillside to the west of Inver village, overlooking Inver Bay. A 'modernised' holy well is located at the foot of the hill. Excavation of eighteen test-trenches was carried out at the location of the proposed houses, access road and percolation areas. Topsoil and sod overlay a compact yellow brown sand and bedrock. Nothing of archaeological significance was noted during the course of monitoring. (Excavations Bulletin 2001)
Declan Moore, Moore Archaeological and Environmental Services Ltd, 200 Dún na Coiribe, Galway.
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: 03 November 2011
Nearby in the register
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.