What is recorded here

Rathbal in County Mayo held a small walled pool where neighbours prayed and tied rags to an adjacent bush. The water came from a living spring, but the field beside it carried a heavier memory because tradition claimed burials lay hidden in the soil. People may have gone there to ask for mercy, mark a loss or keep an old promise alive. The well is infilled now, yet the story still circles that lost water like a shadow moving through grass.

This is the location of a spring well, now infilled. According to local tradition, it once consisted of a small pool (diam. c. 2-3m) enclosed by a low wall, and was known as a holy well, where prayers were said. According to one source, rags were tied to an adjacent bush. Tradition also said that there were burials (MA030-092002-)in the surrounding field. Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 5 June 2018

Linked to an unspecified saint or local holy figure, the well was traditionally used for prayers and possibly seasonal rituals. Local folklore suggests it may have been associated with healing or protection, though specific cures or detailed traditions have not been recorded.

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