Holy wells across Ireland were commonly visited for the healing of human ailments, with devotees performing ritual circuits known as "rounds", but this particular well was resorted to primarily for the curing of sick cattle. A cross-inscribed stone, the kind of early Christian carved marker found at sacred sites throughout Ireland, was associated with the well, adding a layer of devotional significance to what might otherwise seem a purely practical piece of folk veterinary tradition.

The well lies a short distance to the east of the island's village and is now enclosed within a concrete structure, a modest and functional intervention that has replaced whatever earlier setting surrounded it. The association between the cross-inscribed stone and the well was recorded by An Seabhac in 1939, and the site was later documented in J. Cuppage's archaeological survey of the Corca Dhuibhne region, published in 1986. The Blasket Islands were inhabited until 1953, when the last remaining islanders were evacuated to the mainland, and the ritual use of Tobernacrusha almost certainly predates that final chapter of island life by several centuries. Cross-inscribed stones of this type typically belong to the early medieval period, though their incorporation into later folk practice was common across the west of Ireland.