Ritual site - holy well

The National Monuments Service's description

In a hollow covered with overgrowth, beside a stream. This is a spring well, with the surrounding ground poached by cattle. There is no evidence of recent veneration here. According to Wood-Martin (1892, 357), a small ash tree beside 'Tubber-Keeran, or St. Keeran's-well', is covered in rags and frequented by country people for many reasons but mainly by 'farmers wives and daughters whose cows are sick or not producing as much butter as they expected'. Pilgrimage to the well was on the last Sunday in July with a procession from Kilmacteige church (SL036-021001-), c. 200m to S, to the well where three circles of the Rosary were said (ITA). The origin of the name Keerann may come from the Irish for mountain ash 'Caerthain, pronounced caraun' or from a corruption of Tubber Ciaran, well of Ciaran (O'Rorke [1889], vol. 2, 152). According to Wood-Martin (1892, 357, n. 1), there were possible bullaun stones (see SL036-021006-) close to the well.

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