Leacht in Oileán Máisean

Lying within the SW section of the interior of an enclosure (GA076-011003-), c. 2m to the E of its entrance, and associated with an early Christian church (GA076-011001-). This fairly well-preserved, rectangular leacht (dims. 3.2m E-W; 2m N-S; max. H 1m) is built of granite boulders and its four corners were marked by larger boulders, which have since collapsed or are displaced. All the sides are partially collapsed and boulders are strewn around its base. The E (H 0.4m) and S sides are best preserved. There is a cross-slab (GA076-011006-) on top of the leacht, on its W side, and a bullaun (GA076-011004-) with a lid lies immediately on the ground at its SW corner. When visited in August 1984 a subcircular granite boulder (c. 0.4m E-W; 0.3m N-S) was evident on the leacht near its SE corner. This has since been removed from it and is now lying on the ground c. 1.5m to its S. It may be a praying or 'cursing' stone similar to those noted by Bigger (1896, 109) on Cruach na Cara/St Mac Dara's Island - see GA076-020010-. Another cross-slab (GA076-011010-) is associated with the leacht (Higgins 1987, vol. 2, 356, no. 79). Compiled by: Olive Alcock Updated by: Olive Alcock Date of revised upload: 16 March 2016

Linked to Saint Maodhagan, the site is associated with healing traditions and pilgrimage, particularly for curing eye ailments. The leacht, or holy well, is thought to have been a focal point of early Christian worship and local folklore surrounding the saint's miracles.