Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ritual site - holy well
Capnagower, County Mayo, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Capnagower
- County
- Mayo
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Toberfriabride
- Latest-edition OS map
- Toberfriabride
- Coordinates
- 53.80800, -9.94592
- SMR number
- MA085-012002-
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 1753 "Mappa geographica Regni Hiberniae" (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
Situated within a cluster of ecclesiastical monuments associated with an enclosure (MA085-012001-). The well lies on relatively level but soggy ground 5.3m to N of the enclosure. Externally, this spring well resembles a small loose cairn, D-shaped in plan (E–W 2.2m, N–S 2m, H 0.5m max.). However, within this cairn is a very small, low chamber, which is rectangular in plan (E–W 1.1m, N–S 0.5m, H 0.6m, internally max.) and open at its eastern end. Its drystone sidewalls are neatly built, and it is roofed by two flat slabs. Westropp (1911a, 25, also 17) notes that although the well is dedicated to the feast of St Bridget, the pattern day was traditionally held on 15 August. He also (1911a, 25–7) relates a number of stories, customs and cures associated with the well, noting in particular that ‘its repute spreads from Galway and Sligo to America’ (1911a, 25). Although no pattern is celebrated there today, its former observance is still remembered locally (Kathleen Bessie O’Malley, pers. comm.). At the time of visit the water was 0.25m in depth and no offerings were in evidence. See also Otway (1839, 416), Browne (1900, 68), Cullen and Gill (1992d, 6 and 9) and Corlett (2001, 119–21 and pl. 97).
The above description is derived from: New Survey of Clare Island. Volume 5: Archaeology. Edited by Paul Gosling, Conleth Manning and John Waddell. (Royal Irish Academy, Dublin. 2007). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated.
Date of upload: 4 December 2018
References
Westropp, T.J. 1911 Clare Island survey: history and archaeology. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 31, Section 1, Part 2, 1-78.
Cullen, C. and Gill, P. 1992 Holy wells and Christian settlement on Clare Island, Co. Mayo. Clare Island Series 4. Clare Island. Centre for Island Studies.
Browne, C.R. 1900 The ethnography of Clare Island and Inishturk, Co. Mayo. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 21, (1898-1900) 40-72.
Otway, C. 1839 A tour in Connaught comprising sketches of Clonmacnoise, Joyce Country, and Achill. Dublin. William Curry, Jun. and Company.
Gosling, P., Manning, C. and Waddell, J. (eds.) 2007 New Survey of Clare Island, Volume 5: Archaeology. Dublin, Royal Irish Academy.
Nearby in the register
- Clochanunder 1 mi
- Altarunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - cashelunder 1 mi
- Penitential stationunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.