Dublin Core
Title
Fairy Well
Description of Well Item Type Metadata
1 Name of well and saint
Name: Tobar Chnapostuin (Fairy Well)
Saint Dedication: This well does not commemorate a saint but actually a fairy or another deity lost to the times (Cronin et al., 2012).
Saint Dedication: This well does not commemorate a saint but actually a fairy or another deity lost to the times (Cronin et al., 2012).
2 Townland, County, GPS
Muckros (Muckross), Donegal
3 Physical description of well and its surroundings
Surroundings: The well overlooks north towards Tralor Beach and is 2.5 km south/ southeast of Kilcar. The well is closely located to both a burial ground and a mass rock (Cronin et al., 2012).
Description: The well is a natural spring and is located near the edge of a north-facing slope, with has a flat flagstone on the northern side, which forms a rectangular shape that measures 0.8 m x 0.5m in size (Cronin et al., 2012).
Description: The well is a natural spring and is located near the edge of a north-facing slope, with has a flat flagstone on the northern side, which forms a rectangular shape that measures 0.8 m x 0.5m in size (Cronin et al., 2012).
8 Stories
Local Story: The well is described by Ó Muirgheasa (1936) as:
“Tobar Chnapostuin at Muckress, near Kilcar, commemorates not a saint but a fairy, or more probably a local deity of ancient times, still remembered in local legends. For one such see the story of Bolcan Mor in Oidhche Airneail I dTir Chonaill. It was probably a “sacred well” in pagan times, and having escaped the attention of the missionaries, it has preserved its name and identity until the present day, a circumstance perhaps, unparalleled in this country” (Cronin et al., 2012).
“Tobar Chnapostuin at Muckress, near Kilcar, commemorates not a saint but a fairy, or more probably a local deity of ancient times, still remembered in local legends. For one such see the story of Bolcan Mor in Oidhche Airneail I dTir Chonaill. It was probably a “sacred well” in pagan times, and having escaped the attention of the missionaries, it has preserved its name and identity until the present day, a circumstance perhaps, unparalleled in this country” (Cronin et al., 2012).
9 Publications
Cronin, John and Associates. 2012. Survey of the Heritage of Holy Wells in County Donegal. Donegal County Council.
“Newly-found Holy Wells Across Donegal to Feature in Rite Programme” - https://www.donegaldaily.com/2013/03/25/newly-found-holy-wells-across-donegal-to-feature-in-rte-programme/.
“Newly-found Holy Wells Across Donegal to Feature in Rite Programme” - https://www.donegaldaily.com/2013/03/25/newly-found-holy-wells-across-donegal-to-feature-in-rte-programme/.