Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated In a fold on a gentle S-facing slope, with a NNW-SSE stream c. 6m to the E. This well is dedicated to St. Patrick and is described as such on the 1835 and 1907 editions of the OS 6-inch map. It was described in 1991 (SMR file) as an overgrown rectangular stone-lined trough (dims 1m x 0.8m) and there was local knowledge of veneration and a rag bush. In 2000 it was conserved as a circular stone-lined well (diam. 1.1m; D 0.6m) with a patio to the E, and the well is approached by steps from the S. An overflow channel emerges from under the patio and debouches into a circular stone basin or trough (ext. diam. 0.54m; H 0.35m), from where it continues SE to the stream. The conserved well is within a D-shaped enclosure (dims 13m E-W; 12m N-S) which is defined by the stream at E, a field bank at N and a slightly curving stone wall S-W. A path leads to the public road c. 110m to the W.

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.

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of revised upload: 14 October 2019