What is recorded here

Yes. An upland valley in Oughtdarra holds a small drystone well, and a hollow stone above it still receives coins. The well may have given water, tested courage, or marked a boundary between people and the rocky plateau. Whoever built it trusted that place enough to shape it, and the coins show that trust still arrives.

On an upland karstic plateau, towards the S end of in a narrow ‘valley’ between rising rocky slopes, and within an extensive field system (CL004-027001-). According to local tradition, this is a holy well (pers. comm. Pat McNamara, Dereen West, Fanore). The well is enclosed within a subrectangular enclosure (ext. 2.7m E−W; 2.2m N−S) defined by a drystone wall (Wth 0.4-0.5m; H 0.65m) built of 4-5 courses of large limestone slabs and stones, with a narrow entrance gap (Wth 0.25-0.3m) at the S end of the W wall. The E wall is built against a rising bedrock scarp. A limestone block rests on top of the enclosing wall at NE; a solution hollow on the upper surface of this stone contains a number of coins (votive offers). The well interior was dry and grassed-over on the day of visit. The following images have been uploaded: CL004-123----_01.jpg View from W CL004-123----_02.jpg View from E CL004-123----_03.jpg View from NE with stone containing coins CL004-123----_04.jpg Stone with coins Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 10 November 2021

Linked to Saint Patrick, the holy well in Oughtdarra is traditionally associated with cures for skin ailments and general well-being. Local folklore suggests that the well was once a site of pilgrimage, with visitors collecting water for blessings and healing rituals.

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.