Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ritual site - holy well
Ardfry, County Galway, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Ardfry
- County
- Galway
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- St. Brendans Well
- Latest-edition OS map
- St. Brendans Well
- Coordinates
- 53.23824, -8.97834
- SMR number
- GA094-003003-
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 1753 "Mappa geographica Regni Hiberniae" (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
At the NW corner of a moated site (GA094-003002-), within the grounds of Ardfry House (GA094-004---). This natural spring well (D 2.5m) is enclosed by subrectangular drystone wall (3m N–S; 2.2m E–W), which is just one course high. The well is straight sided and lined with drystone walling. According to Holt (1912, 237), it 'occupies a small bastion-like expansion of the scarp'. A tower house (GA094-003001-) was built on the W scarp of the motte, a few meters to the SE of the holy well. When visited it was obscured with the growth of ivy and ferns, and was covered over with wooden planks. A number of burials were found in its vicinity – see GA094-003004-.
Compiled by: Galway Archaeological Survey, UCG
Date of upload: 19 December 2022
References
Holt, E.W.L. 1911-12 Notes on the Ordnance Survey Letters relating to the barony of Dunkellin: iii - Ballynacourty parish. Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society 7, 205-51.
Nearby in the register
- Castle - tower houseunder 1 mi
- Moated siteunder 1 mi
- Country houseunder 1 mi
- Designed landscape - follyunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.