Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

Traditionally established by St Patrick (Stokes 1887b, 107), the well is situated in a triangular plot (max. dims 22m N-S; 18m E-W) towards the bottom of a SW-facing slope at the S end of a broad NW-SE ridge. It is on the W side of a N-S section of the N 60 Castlerea-Roscommon road and c. 80m SW of the church (RO034-080001-).
This is a rectangular well (int. dims 2.1m NW-SE; 2.1m NE-SW) defined by a stone wall (T 0.6m; int. H 1.4m; ext. H 0.2m) with a stream running off to the SW through a small rectangular pool (dims 1m x 1.2m). The well is within a rectangular enclosure (int. dims 8m NE-SW; 7.65m NW-SE) defined by the foundations of a wall (T 0.65-1m; H 0.2m), and three steps lead down to the stream on each side of the stream outside the enclosure. A limestone plaque (RO034-080012-) on the inner face of the well has an inscription in false relief commemorating Fr. William Hanley who renovated the well in 1687. A limestone Latin cross (RO034-080004-) (H 0.8m; Span 0.5m; T 0.2m) on a drystone-built plinth (dims 1.3m x 1.4m; H 0.4m) has an incised inscription and the date1729, while the socket of a finial cross (RO034-080013-) is on the bank at the roadside. The well also had a connection with Lughnasa in early August (Anon 1992; Beirne 2000, 290). Another possible holy well (RO034-080009-) is c. 70m to the NW. (Mullin 1987)

See the attached image taken from the SW.

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 24 August 2010

References

Stokes, W. 1887 The tripartite life of Patrick, 2 vols. London. HMSO.

Mullin, J. 1987 The holy well of Oran. In Roscommon Association Yearbook, 71-3. Dublin.

Beirne, Rev. F. 2000 The Diocese of Elphin. People, places and pilgrimage. Blackrock. The Columba Press.

Anon. 1992 Two holy wells in county Roscommon. Their relation to the festival of Lughnasa. Journal of the Roscommon Historical and Archaeological Society, vol. 4, 56-9.