Unofficial guide. Not the National Monuments Service, the OPW, Fáilte Ireland or the landowner. Disclaimer
At a glance
- TypeRitual site - holy well
- Date or period mentioned19th century
- Recorded size1.7m E-W; 1.5m N-S; D 1m
What to look for
- Offerings left
- Cross or cross-slab
Picked out from the Archaeological Survey description below.
Can you visit?
- No source says it is open to the public.Most monuments in Ireland stand on private farmland.
- Ask the landowner before crossing fields, close gates, leave the stones as you find them.Visiting responsibly
History and description
In a small cluster of trees to the W of a N-S running road. Named Lady’s Well on the 1838 and 1933 editions of the OS 6-inch maps.
Full archaeological record 179 words
In a small cluster of trees to the W of a N-S running road. Named Lady’s Well on the 1838 and 1933 editions of the OS 6-inch maps. Details from The Schools’ Collection (https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4583352/4582158/4591454 last accessed 12 December 2022) indicate that the well was known locally as ‘Tobar Muire’ and that in the early 19th century people used to visit it to ‘perform and pray’ but by the 1930s this was no longer the case. Pieces of cloth were tied to bushes around the well and there was also a spring well beside it.
The well is roughly subcircular in plan (1.7m E-W; 1.5m N-S; D 1m) and is enclosed by a stone wall. A wooden cross is nailed to a tree adjacent to it. Above the cross, a small statuette of Our Lady and Child is covered with a metal lid. On inspection, fresh flowers had been placed beside the statuette, indicating that the well is still in use. The spring well to the E of it, and closer to the road, is of similar size and construction.
Archaeological Survey of Ireland, National Monuments Service (CC BY 4.0) · Compiled by Galway Archaeological Survey, UCG and Olive Alcock · Updated 19 December 2022. It describes the site as it was when surveyed.
More holy wells nearby
St Bridget's Well
Ritual site - holy well · Loughrea · Galway · 3.2 km away
St. Dima's Well
Ritual site - holy well · Killeenadeema East · Galway · 6.3 km away
Our Lady's Well
Ritual site - holy well · Drumatober · Galway · 10 km away
Toberbreeda
Ritual site - holy well · Lackabaun (Leitrim By.) · Galway · 12 km away
Lady's Well
Ritual site - holy well · Abbey (Leitrim By.) · Galway · 15 km away
Lanfera's Well
Ritual site - holy well · Abbeyfield · Galway · 15 km away
Also recorded nearby
Named sites within 5 km with only a short entry in the Archaeological Survey.
- Kilmeen Round TowerRound tower · Kilmeen · 2.0 km · official record
- Tonaroasty CashelRingfort - cashel · Tonaroasty · 3.1 km · official record
This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 9/1985).
- St. Mary's PrioryReligious house - Carmelite friars · Loughrea · 3.7 km · official record
Visitors' notes
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Around Lady's Well
Other heritage nearby
- The Seven MonumentsStone circle · 3.2 km
- RathsoonyRingfort · 4.0 km
- RahannagraghRingfort · 4.4 km
- St Dympna's ChurchAncient church · 6.8 km
Recorded within 5 km
- 62 ringfortsArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 11 castlesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 9 ancient churchesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 5 holy wellsArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 3 standing stonesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 2 abbeys & friariesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 2 monastic sitesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 1 round towerArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 1 stone circleArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 1 megalithic tombArchaeological Survey of Ireland
Walks and trails
- Slieve Aughty Trails - Sonnagh Old LoopWalking Trail · 7.3 km · nearest point 9.8 km
- Slieve Aughty Trails - Gortnamanagh LoopWalking Trail · 6.5 km · nearest point 10.0 km
- Slieve Aughty Trails - Old Curragh RoadWalking Trail · 1.3 km · nearest point 12 km
Outdoors, towns and places to stay
- Loughrea LakeBeaches · 4.4 km · Excellent Quality (2025)
- Pollnaknockaun Wood Nature ReserveNature reserves · 19 km
- LoughreaWalled towns · 3.8 km
Other attractions nearby
- Loughrea CathedralAbbeys and Monastery · 3.7 km
- Loughrea LakeBeach · 4.8 km
- Finnerty's MillsHistoric Houses and Castle · 7.3 km
- Leahy BeekeepingNature and Wildlife · 7.5 km
Excavations nearby
- E1532 Fairfield, County GalwayRoad-scheme excavation report (TII) · 2.0 km
- E1506 Greeneenagh, County GalwayRoad-scheme excavation report (TII) · 2.1 km

