Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

Located at the bottom of a W-facing slope, in a triangular grass-covered field (dims c. 60m N-S; c. 30m E-W at N) with mature deciduous trees that is at the W end of a lane. A small, dry, shallow opening (diam. 0.4m; D 0.35m) is defined by stones (ext. diam. 1.2m), and known as St Creigharee’s Well. The name is a corruption of Cruimhthear (presbyter or priest) Fraoch, the founder of the early monastery (LE033-006001-) at Cloone. A cairn (dims 9.5m NE-SW; 4.5m NW-SE; max. H 0.7m) is adjacent to the NW, and a concrete shrine (dims 1.05m x 0.7m; H 2.7m) erected in 1950 is surmounted by a concrete cross and has a niche with statues. A pattern was held on the last Sunday in July, called 'Garlic Sunday', until c. 1860 when it was transferred to the well at Kiltoghert (LE027-079---) (MacNeill 1962, 606).

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 upload: 23 September 2008
Amended: 9 December 2019

References

MacNeill, M. 1962 The festival of Lughnasa. London. Oxford University Press.