What is recorded here

Mahulas Well in Ballykeel, County Down, is a holy water place marked on the official map but deprived of a clear date or owner. The name Mahulas resists easy explanation, perhaps preserving a lost language, family or faith. People may have drank, washed or prayed at that water before records began. The well still stands as a small point where human life touched the land and disappeared.

The official Northern Ireland record identifies this as HOLY WELL: MAHULAS WELL. Recorded period: UNCERTAIN. The official map point was placed at the centre of the recorded archaeological site from the source map reference.

Linked to Saint Mochua (also known as Mahulas), this holy well is traditionally associated with cures for skin ailments and general healing. The name Mahulas derives from the Irish "Maol-Chua," meaning "bald monk," and such wells were often sites of pilgrimage and ritual washing in early Christian times.

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