Known simply as Tobar Faoi Chnoc or Tobar Ailt na Peiste, this sacred spring has no patron saint attached to its waters, unusual for Irish holy wells. What makes it particularly intriguing is its tidal nature; twice daily the Atlantic waters surge in to cover it completely, yet when the tide retreats, locals have long claimed the well water runs fresh, a phenomenon that seems to defy the laws of nature.

The well was documented in 1936 by the folklorist Ó Muirgheasa, who noted that despite its lack of saintly association, occasional pilgrims still performed the turus, a traditional prayer ritual involving walking specific patterns around sacred sites. His elderly informant, who was over 100 years old at the time, confirmed that even in living memory, no saint’s name had ever been connected to this well, suggesting its sacred status predates Christian influence or represents a different tradition entirely.

The site’s alternative name, Tobar Ailt na Peiste, translates roughly to “Well of the Serpent’s Glen”, hinting at older, perhaps pre-Christian associations. While many Irish holy wells were Christianised over the centuries, this one seems to have retained its more ambiguous spiritual identity, continuing to draw the occasional pilgrim who seeks out this twice-submerged spring at the edge of the wild Atlantic.