Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

On low-lying ground c. 20m from the N bank of a SE-NW stream. This is an oval well (dims 0.95m NE-SW; 0.75m NW-SE; D 0.65m) defined by a masonry wall (Wth 0.5m; H 0.6m) which is open to the SW and which has a trough (dims 0.9m x 0.4m) on top of the wall. It is within a subcircular enclosure (int. dims 8.5m x 7m) defined by a masonry wall (Wth 0.6m; H 1m) with a limestone crucifixion plaque (RO051-072002-) (dims 1.13m x 0.9m), probably 18th century in date, set into it (Crawford 1919, 115). A thorn tree stands over the well. The well is still venerated, and a pattern is held on 21st June (O'Flanagan 1931, vol. 1, 24; Moore 2000, 91-2), although St Rónán of Aghalurcher, Co. Fermanagh (Foley and McHugh 2014, vol. 1, 685-90), after whom it is thought to have been named, is remembered on 23rd December (Ó Riain 2011, 538). The parish church of Taghmaconnell (RO051-053001-) is c. 900m to the NE.

See the attached view taken from the SE.

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 24 August 2010

References

O'Flanagan, Rev. M. (Compiler) 1931 Letters containing information relative to the antiquities of the county of Roscommon collected during the progress of the
Ordnance Survey in 1837. Bray.

Ó Riain, P. 2011 A dictionary of Irish Saints. Dublin. Four Courts Press.

Foley, C. and McHugh, R. 2014 The Archaeological Survey of County Fermanagh. Belfast. Northern Ireland Environment Agency