Known as Tobar Muireadagh or the Malin Well, this natural basin measures 1.75 metres across and fills with seawater at high tide. The well takes its name from a hermit called Muireadagh (also spelled Muirdhealach or Moriallagh in various historical sources) who reportedly lived nearby in ancient times. According to...
Ritual site – holy well, Ardagh, Co. Donegal
Recorded in 1936 as being possibly one of the most inaccessible wells in the entire country, it remains a challenge for pilgrims and curious visitors alike. The water emerges from the streambed and flows out as a small cascade, making the traditional practice of performing stations particularly difficult for those...
Ritual site – holy well, Dunmuckrum, Co. Donegal
Like many of Ireland's sacred wells, this simple structure represents a fascinating blend of pre-Christian and Christian traditions, where ancient water veneration merged seamlessly with the cult of saints. The well takes its name from St. Patrick, though its origins likely stretch back much further than the arrival of Christianity...
Ritual site – holy well, Ballymunterhiggin, Co. Donegal
Though now largely destroyed and obscured by overgrowth, archaeological investigations in 2003 revealed fascinating details about this ritual site and the infrastructure that supported religious visitors over the centuries. The well itself sits at a curious junction of landscapes; low-lying bog stretches to the south and west, whilst a substantial...
Ritual site – holy well, An Bearnas Íochtarach, Co. Donegal
This sacred spring, marked as Toberenny on the Ordnance Survey 6-inch maps, continues to draw pilgrims who perform the traditional turas, a devotional circuit of prayer stations. A modern altar and turas station stand nearby, testament to the site's enduring spiritual significance in local religious practice. The well's identity poses...