What is recorded here

Tobermacduagh is a Galway holy well where local tradition places the birth of St Colman and the later burial of his mother, St Rioneach, giving one small spring an unusual depth of life and loss. The oval well sits on a slight rise beside a possible rath, while a 1901 cross and a 1912 octagonal well house mark later acts of belief on the same ground. Each October, people still gather for the pattern, carrying prayer, memory and ordinary fellowship to a place where water has long made the sacred feel immediate.

On a slight rise. Oval-shaped spring well (NE-SW 2.5m, NW-SE 1.5m) revetted by drystone-walling and entered via pathway from E. 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

Tobermacduagh, Tonagarraun is associated with Saint Mac Duach, a 7th-century Irish saint and companion of Saint Brigid of Kildare. The well was traditionally visited for its healing properties, particularly for eye ailments and general physical ills, and was likely a site of pilgrimage and seasonal rituals.

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