Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

In low-lying wet ground interspersed with rock outcrops, at the southern foot of a low ridge. A damp grass-covered area (diam. c. 3.5m) is defined on its W side by a 4m long arc of mostly contiguous stones; a single stone (0.65m x 0.9m x 0.5m) lies 1m E of the N end of the arc and another (0.8m x 0.5m x 0.35m) 3.8m E of the S end. According to local information, the well was formerly completely enclosed by a stone wall but this was partially demolished when an adjacent ash tree fell during a hurricane c. 1958. O'Rorke ([1889], vol. 2, 247) mentioned that the well was '…till recently…frequented by crowds from all quarters including the town of Sligo'. In 1942-4 it was recorded as 'Tober Domhnaigh' and also that it had become known as 'Tobervanny' and was no longer visited (ITA). There is an ecclesiastical enclosure (SL020-171003-) c. 50m to N and a graveyard (SL020-171002-) c. 80m to N.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Sligo' compiled by Ursula Egan, Elizabeth Byrne, Mary Sleeman with Sheila Ronan and Connie Murphy (Dublin Stationery Office, 2005).

Date of upload: 18 January 2008