Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ritual site - holy well
Gooreen, County Galway, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Gooreen
- County
- Galway
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Toberfeheen
- Latest-edition OS map
- Toberfeheen
- Coordinates
- 53.53029, -10.16888
- SMR number
- GA021-019----
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1790 "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
On seashore on SW side of Omey Island. Known locally as Tobar Feichín, it consists of an irregular hole in the rock situated centrally within a small, low, pear-shaped drystone wall (2.7m by 2.5m), with an entrance at SW. There is an alcove in the inner face of the wall at N containing some white pebbles and modern offerings. No trace survives of the 'altar formed by a projection in the masonry' noted by Macalister (1896b, 253) on the outer face of the wall and which was 'covered in large spherical pebbles'. Noted by O'Flaherty in 1684 when it was frequented on 20th January and 'of late proves very miraculous for restoring of health' (Hardiman 1846, 113). (O'Flanagan 1927a, Vol. 3, 75, 79; Killanin 1954, 95)
The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Galway Vol. I - West Galway'. Compiled by Paul Gosling (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1993).
Date of upload: 05 August 2010
Nearby in the register
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.