Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ritual site - holy well
Drumacoo, County Galway, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Drumacoo
- County
- Galway
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- St. Sorneys Well
- Latest-edition OS map
- St. Sorneys Well
- Coordinates
- 53.19843, -8.90545
- SMR number
- GA103-118005-
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
Some 35m to the SW of the church (GA103-118001-) at Drumacoo. Dedicated to St Sorney, this holy well consists of a roughly circular stone-lined sunken spring well (diam. 1.7m), surrounded by a circular stone wall (diam. c. 4m). Access is via seven steps at N. Modern votive offerings are visible and there is a local tradition of a pattern, performed on two consecutive Mondays and the intervening Thursday, at which cures for injuries, bleeding and minor disabilities are sought. Higgins (1987, vol. II, 271, No. 3) recorded a cross-inscribed water-rolled limestone pebble here. (Killanin and Duignan 1967, 317-18; Harbison 1979, 90)
The following images have been uploaded:
GA103-118005-_01.jpg
GA103-118005-_02.jpg
GA103-118005-_03.jpg
Compiled by: Galway Archaeological Survey
Edited by: Olive Alcock
Date of revised upload: 14 June 2023
This monument was taken into Guardianship under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 - National Monument 254.
References
Higgins, J.G. 1987 The Early Christian cross slabs, pillar stones and related monuments of County Galway, Ireland, 2 vols. British Archaeological Reports, International Series 375. Oxford.
Killanin, M.M. and Duignan, M.V. 1967 (2nd ed.) The Shell guide to Ireland. London. The Ebury Press.
Harbison, P. 1970 (Reprint 1992) Guide to the national monuments in the Republic of Ireland. Dublin. Gill and Macmillan.
Nearby in the register
- Buildingunder 1 mi
- Churchunder 1 mi
- Road - road/trackwayunder 1 mi
- Cross-slabunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.