By 1886, according to the geologist G.H. Kinahan’s observations, the well had already run dry, though it remained an important enough landmark to warrant cartographic documentation. This sacred water source formed part of a broader ritual landscape in the area, with another holy well situated some 500 metres to the east, suggesting this locality held particular spiritual importance for the surrounding community.

The well’s proximity to Templedouglas church indicates it likely served the congregation and pilgrims who visited this religious site, perhaps for centuries before its waters failed. Holy wells throughout Ireland often became focal points for pattern days, local feast celebrations, and healing rituals, with devotees attributing curative properties to their waters. The fact that two such wells existed in close proximity suggests this area may have been a significant pilgrimage site or held special religious meaning in the pre-modern era.

Unfortunately, extensive quarrying operations have completely obliterated any physical trace of Toberdouglas well, erasing this piece of Donegal’s ritual heritage from the landscape. What remains is only the documentary evidence; the old maps, Kinahan’s geological survey notes from the 1880s, and the archaeological records compiled by Brian Lacey and his team in 1983. These written accounts serve as the sole testimony to a sacred site that once drew the faithful to its waters, now lost beneath the industrial transformation of the land.