Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

Tober Patrick is now almost destroyed and obscured. (Ó Muirgheasa No. 4)

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.

Date of upload: 22 September 2008

Tober Patrick is now almost destroyed and obscured (Ó Muirgheasa No. 4). This site was inspected and recorded by Fintan Walsh under excavation licence no. 03E1012 which was part of the Ballyshannon/Bundoran Bypass road scheme. Th following information was taken from the NRA website which records that ' Ballymunterhiggin 1 was located at the interface between low-lying bogland to the south and west, and a rising hill (large rock outcrop) to the north. The site is at the base of a collapsed cave. The holy well itself was located immediately adjacent to a dry stone and hawthorn boundary wall which defined the limits of the well on its northern side. The southern side of the well was bogland. The opening to the well itself was c. 0.60-0.70 m wide east-west and 1 m north-south. The well opening was bound by bedrock along its western edge while its upper eastern edge was indeterminable due to thick overgrowth and boggy conditions. The well would have to have been approached from the drier northern side. No artefacts were uncovered during clean-back around the well. During the survey it was noticed that there was a well-preserved stile (Stile A) incorporated into a stone wall which defined the field boundary along the adjacent country road. A second stile (which was in bad condition) was recorded to the north-west of Stile A. This stile (Stile B) was incorporated into a dry stone wall field boundary close to the base of the large rocky hill. Stile A was a well-preserved stone stile c. 1.10 m high constructed of fairly irregular stones (0.30-0.40 m diameter) similar to those used in the construction of the stonewall field boundary into which it was incorporated. Architecturally it was defined by a series of three flat steps and a vertical divider. The second stile (Stile B) was badly disturbed and only survived as a break in the dry stonewall into which it was incorporated. Stiles A and B may have facilitated 'pilgrim' access for those visiting the well from the adjacent road' (Walsh, F. 2004).