Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ritual site - holy well
Doonaltan, County Sligo, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Doonaltan
- County
- Sligo
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 54.27016, -8.89774
- SMR number
- SL011-058002-
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 1790 "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
Situated on the Ballymeeny River, beneath a small waterfall, in the base of a steep-sided, wooded ravine. It consists of a natural river pool (diam. c. 10m) known as ‘Dabhach Fharannain or the vat or keeve of Farannan’, said to have been used by St Farannan for the baptism of pilgrims and for ‘personal mortification’ (O’Rorke 1889, 413). Adjacent to the pool at SE is a bedrock slab used as an altar (SL011-058001-). Another holy well (SL011-057----) is located on the steep W slope of the ravine c. 40m to NW. On the ridge top bordering the E side of the ravine, c. 20m to SE, there is a cairn (SL011-058----), traditionally said to be the saint’s grave.
Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy
Date of upload: 2 July 2013
References
O'Rorke, T. 1889 (Reprint 1986) The history of Sligo: town and county, 2 vols. Dublin. J. Duffy and Co. Ltd.
Nearby in the register
- Altarunder 1 mi
- Cairn - unclassifiedunder 1 mi
- Ritual site - holy wellunder 1 mi
- Hut siteunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.