Holy well in Fínis

Below HWM on sandy E shore of the island. Known locally as Tobar Cholmcille and said to be 'like a bowl' with a 'clochar' (a cairn or leacht) around it and a path leading to it (info. T. Robinson). This holy well consists of a roughly oval-shaped depression (0.6m N-S; 0.5m E-W; D 0.25m) in the granite bedrock, which is visible at low tide when it is filled with water. No trace of the 'clochar' or pathway leading to it were evident when visited. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Galway Vol. I - West Galway'. Compiled by Paul Gosling (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1993). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Revised by: Olive Alcock Date of upload: 24 April 2014

Linked to St. Columba (Colmcille), the well is associated with early Christian pilgrimage and is traditionally believed to have healing properties. The surrounding cairn or stone circle suggests a pre-Christian ritual site that may have been later Christianized.