Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ritual site - holy well
Dernish Island, County Sligo, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Dernish Island
- County
- Sligo
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Tober Patrick
- Coordinates
- 54.42036, -8.50076
- SMR number
- SL002-019----
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
4 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1869 map "Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
Historical maps covering this location
- 1869 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1891 · Ireland 16 (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1904 · Sheet 4. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1922 · Ireland - northern section. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
In rough pasture, at the base of W-facing slope, on the SW side of Dernish Island. The shoreline is c. 20m to W, bordered by a vertical scarp (H 2m) which drops from the land to a stony shore.
This holy well is not shown on the 1837 OS 6-inch map; it is indicated as ‘Tober Patrick’ on the 1912 edition. It consists of a spring well, which rises, at the base of the slope in a small subcircular hollow (diam. c. 1m), amidst a random scatter of large stones and boulders. There is no evidence of walling or a formal structure enclosing the well. It is partly engulfed in overgrowth. From here, the water flows as a stream in a shallow, stony gully towards the shore. At the shoreline, c. 20m SW of the holy well, where the stream crosses the vertical land-edge scarp (H c. 2m), there is a setting of three large upright slabs at the top of the scarp, and at the base of the scarp, on the shoreline, a 2m wide channel is faced with boulders. The purpose of these features is unclear; they appear to be relatively late in date, and it is unclear if they relate in any way to use of the spring as a holy well. There is a fulacht fia (SL002-055----) 8m to WNW of the holy well.
Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy
Date of upload: 31 July 2017
Nearby in the register
- Fulacht fiaunder 1 mi
- Hut siteunder 1 mi
- Burialunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - cashelunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.