Tobar Lasair — Churchacres

On the N shore of Lough Meelagh (dims c. 2km E-W; c. 600m-1km N-S), c. 75m W of Kilronan church (RO-004-003001-) and S of the Keadew-Ballyfarnon road. Rectangular well (dims 2.3m NW-SE; 1.6m NE-SW), which is still venerated, surrounded by a masonry wall and with steps at the SE. A limestone plaque (RO004-002005-) (dims 0.63m x 0.26m; T 0.07-0.16m) commemorating Roger Mc Dermotroe and his wife Ellen Conor with the date 1686 is built into the wall. A rag tree (RO004-002004-) stands over the well, and the overflow channel has a stone (dims. 0.65m x. 0.45m; T 0.15m) with a shallow basin (dims 0.55m x 0.35m; D 0.05m) which may be a saddle quern or a bullaun stone (RO004-002003-). An uninscribed stone, probably intended as a headstone and known locally as an altar, consists of a rectangular limestone slab (dims 1.8m x 1.05m; T 0.1m) supported by four corner stones (H c. 1m) on which water-rolled stones are placed. It was mistaken for a megalithic monument (Borlase 1897, vol. 1, 196), and was once on the N side of the road (OS Name Books). The pattern was traditionally held on 8th and 9th of Sept. and is still continued today. Promontory fort (RO004-001----) is c. 140m to the WNW, and holy well (RO004-060----) is c. 230m to the NNW. (Hayward 1955, 135; O'Connell 1988, 61; Healy 2001, 51-2) See the attached view of the well taken from the SE. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 24 August 2010