Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

On a NE-facing slope of the Ox Mountains, above the Lough Talt River. The spring well, which is dedicated to St Attracta, is c. 1.5m below ground level with stone steps leading down to it, revetted and surrounded by a large D-shaped cairn of stones. There is a cross, depicted in white marble, above the well. Rosary beads adorn surrounding bushes and trees and Mass is celebrated here on 15th August each year. According to local tradition, a monster living in the glen was killed by St Athy or Araght, who came form the North of Ireland with a blessed staff given to her by St Patrick (Wood-Martin 1892, 357; O'Rorke [1889], vol. 2, 152). In 1942-4 it was recorded that close to the well is a place called 'Lug na paiste or Hollow of the Beast' (ITA). It was also recorded that the pilgrimage to the well commences on the last Sunday in July and continues until the end of August, with 'the annual pilgrimage day being the Sunday within the octave of the feast of St Attracta' (ITA). St Barbara's well (SL036-008----) lies c. 190m to NW.

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