Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

Located c. 5m S of a NE-SW road and on the E side of the N-S Castlerogy stream, which is c. 65m distant. A crude setting of stones defines a small well (dims 0.7-0.9m; max. H 1.2m), known locally as St Patrick's Well, beneath a large tree. The well is now dry and no longer venerated but the dedication to St Patrick had been recorded in the 1830s by John O’Donovan, who identified Cromlin with the location of the pagan idol known as Crom Cruach. The image was reputedly destroyed by St Patrick, after which he conducted baptisms at the well (Herity 2012, 397-8). The source, the Tripartite Life, is unreliable, and Dalton (1921-4, 33-36) places the location of Crom Cruach in a hilltop enclosure (CV013-022----) in Co. Cavan, which seems more reasonable. The cliff-edge fort (LE022-005----) is just across the road to the N from this holy well. (Blaney 1944, file no. 128)

The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Leitrim' compiled by Michael J. Moore (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2003). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 23 September 2008

References

Blaney, N. 1944 Ballinamore Library, file nos. 124-47. Unpublished notes.

Dalton, J.P. 1921-4 Cromm Cruaich of Magh Sleacht. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 34 (4), 23-67.

Herity, M. (ed.) 2012 Ordnance Survey Letters: Londonderry, Fermanagh, Armagh-Monaghan, Louth, Cavan-Leitrim. Dublin, Fourmasters Press