Holy well in Ardkeeran (tirerrill By.)

In 1836 a well known as St John's well was recorded in the N side of Ardkeeran townland (OSNB vol. 2, 61). The exact location of this well is not known. A well named 'John's well' on the 1914 OS 6-inch map, to NW of Riverstown, was also recorded (OSNB vol. 2, 76) and seems to have been a secular well. It is an unenclosed spring well feeding a stream that meanders to NW. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Sligo' compiled by Ursula Egan, Elizabeth Byrne, Mary Sleeman with Sheila Ronan and Connie Murphy (Dublin Stationery Office, 2005). Date of upload: 18 January 2008

Linked to St John, the well was traditionally associated with healing and may have been visited for water cures, particularly for ailments of the eyes or general health. Such wells were often sites of pilgrimage and seasonal rituals in pre-modern Ireland.