Penitential station in Tullaghan

In a cliff-edge fort (SL026-001001-) and close to a holy well (SL026-001003-). O'Rorke (1878, 266) recorded that 'near the well is a heap of stones thrown there no doubt, by devotees, as the complement of their visit'. There is no cairn now evident in the immediate vicinity of the well but c. 20m to WSW, on the ruined inner wall of the cliff-edge fort, is a cairn (diam. c. 3.5m; H 2m) of loose stones. This cairn is roughly circular in plan but, due to collapse or slippage on the SW side, is rather asymmetrical in profile. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Sligo' compiled by Ursula Egan, Elizabeth Byrne, Mary Sleeman with Sheila Ronan and Connie Murphy (Dublin Stationery Office, 2005). Date of upload: 18 January 2008

Linked to a holy well and a penitential tradition, the site features a cairn of stones left by devotees as part of their pilgrimage or act of penance. Such practices often reflect broader Celtic Christian customs associated with pilgrimage routes and devotional offerings at sacred sites.