What is recorded here

Tobernavean is a holy well in County Galway, Ireland. People may have drunk from it, washed wounds in it, or set small offerings at its edge before roads and hospitals changed the meaning of care. The water does not need a claim of magic to be remembered; it needs only to be clear, cold, and still moving after every forgetful century.

In level grassland. A spring well enclosed by a roughly D-shaped wall (E-W 7.15m, N-S 3.45m) outside of which lie three rectangular stone troughs, two to S and one to NW. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Galway Vol. II - North Galway'. Compiled by Olive Alcock, Kathy de hÓra and Paul Gosling (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1999). Date of upload: 05 August 2010

Tobernavean is traditionally associated with Saint Kevin and is linked to healing rituals, particularly for ailments of the eyes and skin. The site's enclosure and stone troughs suggest a long history of pilgrimage and water-based devotions, common in early Christian and pre-Christian traditions of the region.

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