Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

Located on a gentle E-facing slope on the E side of Kilcummin Head, overlooking Killala Bay.
This holy well is named ‘St. Cummin’s Well’ on the 1838 and 1922 OS 6-inch maps. It was traditionally visited on the last Sunday in July, known as ‘Garland Sunday’ or ‘Domhnach Chrom Dubh’. Water from the well was believed to have curative powers.
It consists of a spring confined to a square pool (0.98m E-W; 0.85m N-S) by a surround of flat flags, enclosed within a house-shaped, stone-built structure (2.1m E-W; 2.15m N-S; H 1.65m at E). This well house, 18th -/19th -century in date, is constructed of rough limestone blocks bonded with clay mortar, and roofed with stone slabs. A plaque mounted above the doorway details the traditional ‘pattern’ or round of prayers enacted at the well. Within the well house, there are two small wall recesses; at the time of visit, these contained small plastic religious statues, a religious picture and a number of cups. According to the 1838 OS Letters, a recess within the well house once held a small inscribed stone (MA008-004003-) (O’Flanagan 1927, 101 (94)). The area immediately in front of the door is paved with stone flags, beneath which a channel carries overflow from the well. The covered channel becomes a shallow, open drain as it extends downslope to E.
There are two penitential stations or cairns (MA008-004004-; MA008-004005-) adjacent to the well at S. The well and the two cairns are enclosed within a rectangular walled enclosure (11m N–S; 9m E–W) of relatively modern construction. An early medieval church (MA008-006001-) and graveyard (MA008-006007-) are located c. 40m to S.

Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 1 July 2019