St Mary's Well

Situated at the base of a S-facing slope in a deciduous wood. This is a natural well in a rock cleft at the bottom of a low cliff (H 1.8m) which is surrounded by a stone wall, making a small rectangular enclosure (int. dims c. 3.5m x 3.5m) which contains statues and offerings. An upright slab (H 1.2m; Wth 0.4m; T 0.15m) fashioned into a rough cross, probably from an 18th-century cut-stone window lintel, is surmounted by a sandstone finial cross (H 0.35m; Span 0.28m; T 0.16m) with a solid ring head (diam. 0.2m). Both features are possibly from the old church at Killarga (LE015-103001-). The well enclosure is surrounded by five metal crosses and an iron railing. A rag-tree enclosed in a small cairn (diam. 2m; max. H 0.6m) is situated just SW of the well. The saint is held locally to be called Arguill and the pattern is held on August 15th (See this web-page accessed on 22/09/2016: http://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4605940/4604191). The first Roman Catholic church of Killarga (LE015-103001-), possibly on the site of the medieval parish church, is c. 350m to the NW.