Holy well, Inchagoill, Co. Galway

Co. Galway |

Holy Sites & Wells

Holy well, Inchagoill, Co. Galway

On the island of Inchagoill in Lough Corrib, a spring known as Tobar na Naomh, the Well of the Saints, sits quietly in the landscape roughly 250 metres south-east of the early medieval church called Teampall na Naomh.

What makes it quietly odd is its condition: when it was last formally recorded, the spring was dry. A holy well without water is something of a contradiction, given that the entire tradition of such sites centres on the curative or sacred properties of the water itself.

What remains is still legible as a constructed feature. There are traces of a stone revetment, the facing or lining built to contain and protect the spring, and a channel running westward from the well down to the shore of the island. That channel suggests the site was once managed with some deliberateness, the water directed rather than simply left to pool. Inchagoill, whose name derives from the Irish for Island of the Devout Foreigner, has a notable concentration of early Christian remains, and the well fits into that pattern, associated as it is with the nearby church complex rather than standing in isolation.

Rated 0 out of 5

Visitor Notes

Review type for post source and places source type not found
Added by
Picture of Pete F
Pete F
IrishHistory.com is passionate about helping people discover and connect with the rich stories of their local communities.
Please use the form below to submit any photos you may have of Holy well, Inchagoill, Co. Galway. We're happy to take any suggested edits you may have too. Please be advised it will take us some time to get to these submissions. Thank you.
Name
Email
Message
Upload images/documents
Maximum file size: 100 MB
If you'd like to add an image or a PDF please do it here.

Advertisement