Ritual site - holy well, Craigmaddyroe Far, Co. Donegal
In the townland of Craig or Cregg, about two miles from Rathmullen along the road to Rathmelton in County Donegal, there once stood a pair of holy wells that served the local community for generations.
Ritual site - holy well, Craigmaddyroe Far, Co. Donegal
Positioned on opposite sides of the road, these sacred springs were documented by the scholar Ó Muirgheasa in 1936, who noted their significance to the area’s religious landscape. The well on the southern side of the road, known as Tobar Breallagh, likely took its name from St. Baothallach, whose feast day falls on 5th October, suggesting a long tradition of veneration at this site.
Unfortunately, the forces of nature have claimed what centuries of human devotion had preserved. The well named Tobar Breallagh, which sat along the shoreline of Lough Swilly, has been completely washed away by the relentless action of the tides. Despite its cultural importance, this particular well never appeared on any edition of the Ordnance Survey 6-inch maps, making its exact location something of a mystery even before its destruction. Local knowledge, passed down through the community, remains the only record of where this sacred site once stood.
Today, visitors to the area will find no visible trace of Tobar Breallagh; the lough has reclaimed what was once a place of pilgrimage and prayer. The remaining well on the northern side of the road continues to mark this area’s sacred geography, whilst its lost companion exists only in local memory and historical records. This erosion of both landscape and heritage serves as a poignant reminder of how Ireland’s holy wells, once numbering in the thousands, continue to disappear from both the physical and cultural landscape.