What is recorded here

Half a kilometre south of Clontuskert Abbey, a dry stone chamber no larger than a child’s bed still stands beneath the open sky. People called it St. Augustines Holy Well and returned on 28th August to pray, remember, or simply be near water that had stopped flowing. The stones are thin now, the chamber empty, but the shape remains: a small room built for attention, waiting for someone to notice what absence can hold.

Some 500m SSE of Clontuskert Abbey (GA088-001----). A poorly preserved dried-up holy well, dedicated to St Augustine, comprising an unroofed rectangular drystone well-chamber (N-S 0.94m, E-W 0.8m). A low stony bank delimits the monument at N, S, and W, while an old field bank running ENE lies 1.55m to SE. A pattern day was traditionally held on 28th August (O'Flanagan 1927, Vol. 1, 645-6). 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

Linked to St. Augustine, the well is associated with early Christian traditions in the region, possibly connected to the nearby Clontuskert Abbey. Holy wells dedicated to St. Augustine were often visited for general healing and protection, reflecting the saint's role as a reformer and bishop in Irish monastic tradition.

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