St. Brendans Holy Well

Just above HWM on N shore of the island. The well (GA050-010001-) and the 'Monument' (GA050-010003-) indicated on OS 6-inch maps as being dedicated to St Brendan are locally associated with St Columcille and visited on his day (pers. comm. T. Robinson). The well consists of a small smooth rounded pothole (D c. 0.3m) on a flat rock outcrop. A semicircular drystone cairn (GA050-010002-) (D 1.2m, H 1.2m) has been built around its S side. Circa 1m SE is the 'Monument': this is a similar cairn, D-shaped in plan (D 1.2m, H 1.45m). Coins and the remains of flowers are visible amongst the stones of both cairns. The well known locally as St Brendan's Well (GA050-010004-) lies 50m to W just below HWM, and consists of a natural pothole (D 0.4m) with an irregular cairn (GA050-010005-) (H 1.2m) above it (info. T. Robinson). Noted by O'Flaherty in 1684 as a 'place in memory of St. Brendan' (Hardiman 1846, 104). (Killanin 1954, 101; Killanin and Duignan 1967, 418) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Galway Vol. I - West Galway'. Compiled by Paul Gosling (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1993). Date of upload: 05 August 2010

St. Brendan's Holy Well on Inis Ní is traditionally linked to St. Brendan the Navigator, a 6th-century Irish monastic saint known for his legendary voyages and founding of monasteries. Although locally associated with St. Columba (Columcille), the well reflects broader early Christian pilgrimage practices, often visited for spiritual healing and on specific holy days.