Holy well in Inis Tuaisceart

Inishtooskert, the northernmost of the Blasket island group, lies 4 miles off the W extremity of the Dingle Peninsula and 2.5 miles N of the Great Blasket. An area of 241 acres is bounded on all sides by sea-cliffs, and the land slopes upwards in a NW direction, from under 100 feet (30m) OD along the SE side to a maximum altitude of 573 feet (175m) roughly midway along the NW side of the island. The land is generally rocky with a thin soil cover and the N half of the island is devoid of any trace of settlement activity. Part of the S half of the island is occupied by a small field system, and it is within this that the Early Christian settlement, named after St. Brendan, is located. (9) (KE051-001005-) Tobar Bréanainn [Brendan's Well] A depression, 1.5m x 1m x 1.2m deep, lined with slabs which are surmounted by drystone walling. It was probably originally provided with a flagged roof and there may formerly have been steps down to the water from the open S side. The well is now dry and there is only a faint tradition that it was ever considered holy (Ó Danachair 1960, 77). The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 844. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 8 August 2013

The holy well on Inis Tuaisceart is associated with Saint Fionnchú, a 7th-century hermit known for his ascetic life on the Blasket Islands. Traditionally linked to healing and protection, the well was visited for its curative properties, particularly for ailments of the eyes and skin, and was often marked by small offerings or stones placed at its site.