Known locally as Roilig, this sacred spot consists of both the holy well itself and a curious feature called the Leabaidh, or “Bed”, a stone formation where devotees would traditionally lie as part of their penitential rituals. The site was documented by the scholar Ó Muirgheasa in 1936, who noted that pilgrims regularly made their rounds here during a specific window each year.

The pilgrimage season, or “turns” as they’re known in the local tradition, runs from 22nd May through to 30th June, with St. Conall’s feast day falling on the 22nd of May. This timing coincides with early summer when the Irish countryside is at its most welcoming, making the journey to the well a more pleasant experience for those seeking spiritual solace or maintaining family traditions. The practice of pattern days and pilgrimages to holy wells like this one represents a fascinating blend of pre-Christian and Christian traditions that have survived in rural Ireland.

While many holy wells across Ireland have fallen into disuse or been forgotten, St. Conall Caol’s Well at Roilig remains part of the living religious landscape of County Donegal. The presence of both the well and the penitential bed speaks to the complex rituals that once took place here; pilgrims would typically pray at the well, drink or bathe in its waters, and perform specific devotions at the stone bed, all part of a carefully prescribed pattern that has been passed down through generations.