Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ritual site - holy well
Carrowntober, County Galway, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Carrowntober
- County
- Galway
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- St. Brendans Wells
- Latest-edition OS map
- St. Brendans Wells
- Coordinates
- 53.23393, -8.43350
- SMR number
- GA098-068001-
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
On a N-facing slope in grassland. This is one of three holy wells, all natural springs, dedicated to St Brendan (GA098-068001-, GA098-068002-, and GA098-068003-). GA098-068001- is the westernmost well, located c.25m to the W of the other two. It is delimited by a drystone wall, five courses high but in a state of collapse. It is roughly square in plan (1.1m EW; 1.2m NS; D c.0.8m), and opens to the E. A stream runs from the well to the next well c. 25m to the E. The OS Letters (O’Flanagan 1927, Vol. 2, 80) mention two ‘very celebrated holy wells called (…) St Brendan’s well’ where ‘turrises are performed on Sundays and Fridays’. However, when last visited GA098-068001- appeared to have been used as a watering place for cattle.
Compiled by: Galway Archaeological Survey, UCG
Date of upload: 9 January 2023
References
O'Flanagan, Rev. M. (Compiler) 1927 Letters containing information relative to the antiquities of the county of Galway collected during the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1839. Typescript in 3 vols. Bray.
Nearby in the register
- Crossunder 1 mi
- Ritual site - holy wellunder 1 mi
- Ritual site - holy wellunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - rathunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.