Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ritual site - holy well
Ballynagall, County Laois, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Ballynagall
- County
- Laois
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- NULL
- Latest-edition OS map
- St. Abbans Well
- Coordinates
- 52.89013, -7.02566
- SMR number
- LA032-005001-
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
Reference to St. Abban's Well (O'Hanlon and O'Leary 1907, vol. 2, 580). Situated in undulating countryside. No visible surface remains.
Described in the History of the Queens County as' Mass used to be said during the penal era under a holly bush in one of the fields of Old leagh. The place lies to the S.W. of Arles at a distance of about a mile. The situation is extremely picturesque. A small river wends its way through a deep ravine, and serves as an outlet for the overflow waters of the well of St. Abban, the patron saint of Kilabban, the more ancient name of Arles. It was an ideal spot for a Mass-station (LA032-005002-)' (O'Hanlon and O'Leary 1907, vol. 2, 580).
The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Laois' (Dublin Stationery Office, 1995) compiled by P. David Sweetman, Olive Alcock and Bernie Moran. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.
Date of upload: 17 December 2007
Nearby in the register
- Penal Mass stationunder 1 mi
- Chapelunder 1 mi
- Moated siteunder 1 mi
- Graveyardunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.