Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated within the complex of ecclesiastical remains at Kill: it lies within an enclosure (MA085-013008-) 125m NW of the ‘Abbey’ (MA085-013001-). The dedication of this well to the Blessed Virgin Mary is possibly related to the Cistercian connection with the nearby Abbey (for details of this dedication see Ó Muraíle 1999, no. 215, 126: Mac Neill 1913, 30). What is visible is a loose cairn of stones and slabs (WSW–ENE 4.6m, NNW–SSE 4.6m overall; H 0.75m max.), partially overgrown with briar. This is comparable with Westropp’s laconic account of the well (1911a, 28, also 17, 25), which noted that ‘it is covered by a shapeless heap of slabs’. Within the jumble of briars and stones, however, a number of fragmentary drystone-built wall faces are discernible, indicating that it was originally a rectangular structure. These are best preserved at SSE (L c. 0.7m) and WSW (L 2.25m): the latter survives to a height of five courses (H 0.6m). Within the mass of stones that make up the cairn a small stone-built cavity (L>1.5m × Wth 0.45m at the south-south-east end, H >0.3m) is also visible; probably the remnants of the well chamber. Its long axis runs SSE–NNW, and it is faced on both sides with drystone and roofed by at least two lintels. It is unclear where the entrance to this chamber was located, but an indentation on north-north-western side of the cairn possibly marks its location. That it was accessible in Westropp’s time is indicated by his comment (1911a, 28) that there was no water in it on the two occasions that he visited it. Two inscribed grave slabs lie on the cairn surface at NE (see Cantwell and Gosling 2005, nos 2 and 10) and there is a small neatly dressed and chamfered jamb stone of serpentinite (H 0.16m × Wth 0.28m × T. 0.16m) at NW. It and a number of other well- dressed blocks at the base of the cairn at NW are probably derived from the ‘Abbey’. See also Browne (1900, 68), O’Flanagan (1927b, 418), Corlett (2001,140) and Cullen and Gill (1992d, 5–6).

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

Browne, C.R. 1900 The ethnography of Clare Island and Inishturk, Co. Mayo. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 21, (1898-1900) 40-72.

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.

ó Muraille, N. 1999 The place-names of Clare Island. In C. Mac Cárthaigh and K. Whelan (eds) New Survey of Clare Island. Volume 1: history and cultural landscape, 99-141. Dublin. Royal Irish Academy

Corlett, C. 2001 Antiquities of West Mayo. Bray. Wordwell.

O'Flanagan, Rev. M. (ed.) 1927 Ordnance Survey name books Co. Mayo. No. 100: from Kilcommon to Kilgeever. Unpublished typescript in Hardiman Library, National University of Ireland, ref D14.

MacNeill, J. 1913 Clare Island Survey: placenames and family names. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 31 (1911-15), section 1, part 3, 1-42.

Gosling, P., Manning, C. and Waddell, J. (eds.) 2007 New Survey of Clare Island, Volume 5: Archaeology. Dublin, Royal Irish Academy.