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 size1.5m N–S x 1.2m E–W; D 0.2m
What to look for
- Steps down
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
On the roadside with higher rocky ground, the source of the spring, rising immediately to S. Indicated and named ‘Tobercornan’ on the 1842 and 1915 OS 6-inch maps and named ‘Pinnacle Well’ and ‘Tobar Chornáin’ on Robinson’s map of the Burren (1977). A partially quarried rock pool (1.5m N–S x 1.2m E–W; D 0.2m) fed by a natural spring and enclosed in a square 19th-century Gothic Revival single-bay wellhouse.
Full archaeological record 147 words
On the roadside with higher rocky ground, the source of the spring, rising immediately to S. Indicated and named ‘Tobercornan’ on the 1842 and 1915 OS 6-inch maps and named ‘Pinnacle Well’ and ‘Tobar Chornáin’ on Robinson’s map of the Burren (1977). A partially quarried rock pool (1.5m N–S x 1.2m E–W; D 0.2m) fed by a natural spring and enclosed in a square 19th-century Gothic Revival single-bay wellhouse. The wellhouse is built from dressed limestone blocks and has projecting corner buttresses capped with pinnacles. The roof is of corbelled rubble stone with dressed stone gable copings (NIAH). The well is entered over a small blocking stone and through a pointed-arched doorway in N wall from where three steps lead down to water level. Cunningham (1980, 36) noted that the name could refer to the Irish word for Pennywort (a plant) or to a person named ‘Cornan’.
Archaeological Survey of Ireland, National Monuments Service (CC BY 4.0) · Compiled by Mary Tunney and Ros Ó Maoldúin · Updated 1 December 2020. It describes the site as it was when surveyed.
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Also recorded nearby
Named sites within 5 km with only a short entry in the Archaeological Survey.
- Caherdooneerish Stone FortRingfort - cashel · Murrooghtoohy North · 4.6 km · official record
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Around Tobercornan Well
Other heritage nearby
- Gleninagh CastleCastle · 0.9 km
- Newtown CastleCastle · 3.6 km
- Rathborney ChurchAncient church · 5.1 km
- Faunarooska, Rathborney, Wedge Tomb Cl. 4Megalithic tomb · 5.1 km
- Ballyallaban ringfortRingfort · 5.3 km
- Ballyallaban ringfortRingfort · 5.6 km
Recorded within 5 km
- 44 ringfortsArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 5 ancient churchesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 4 holy wellsArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 4 megalithic tombsArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 3 castlesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 2 monastic sitesArchaeological Survey of Ireland
- 1 hillfortArchaeological Survey of Ireland
Walks and trails
- Fanore Ballyvaughan TrekWalking Trail · 20.9 km · nearest point 1.1 km
- Ballyvaughan - Black Head LoopWalking Trail · 24.1 km · nearest point 1.4 km
- Ballyvaughan - Wood LoopWalking Trail · 8.9 km · nearest point 3.3 km
Outdoors, towns and places to stay
- Gragan's WoodForests · 8.1 km
- BishopsquarterBeaches · 4.6 km · Excellent Quality (2025)
- FanoreBeaches · 6.5 km · Excellent Quality (2025)
- Ballyteigue Nature ReserveNature reserves · 13 km
- Keelhilla, Slieve Carron Nature ReserveNature reserves · 14 km
- Inchiquin HouseHistoric stays · 21 km
Other attractions nearby
- Gleninagh CastleHistoric Houses and Castle · 0.9 km
- Ballyvaughan PierNatural Landscape · 3.1 km
- Bay SUPNature and Wildlife · 3.4 km
- Gordon D'Arcy Guided Burren ToursNature and Wildlife · 3.6 km
What's on nearby
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