County: Westmeath Site name: DONAGHFEIGHIN, Fore
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: Fiona Dillon,
Site type: Ritual site - holy well
Period/Dating: Medieval (AD 400-AD 1600)
ITM: E 650940m, N 770018m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.677420, -7.228988
The village of Fore, Co. Westmeath is being developed as part of a 'tourist trail' around Westmeath. An excavation was carried out to clarify the nature of the site, which lasted five weeks and was funded by Westmeath Co. Council. An area, 4m x 4m was opened up, with the stone structure enclosing the pool in the centre of the square.
The stratigraphy of the site showed two phases of building. The earlier phase consisted of a pair of parallel, drystone walls. These were formed of several courses of squared-off blocks of stone, with a smooth inner face. Each course consisted of a single line of stones, diameter 0.5m to 0.9m. The walls cut across the site, (diameter 5.8m), in a north-south direction, and presumably continued in both directions beyond the excavation.
The second, later phase incorporated 1.8m of the walls from phase 1; using them to support two large rectangular stones, resting at either end on the walls below. They spanned 1.58m between the walls, thereby defining the pool. This structure was visible before excavation and the enclosed area had held water, due to the high water table.
This pool was associated with St Feighin as the place where he knelt in prayer for penance. Finds from the site were animal bones which were thought to be modern and four sherds of pottery, two of which were medieval. Taking into consideration the orientation of the walls and the topography of the land, it seems likely that this waterway, formed by the parallel walls, was associated with the nearby Benedictine priory, possibly a tailrace from a water mill. There was no indication of a date for the later phase, other than that it was constructed after the waterway was covered over.
34 Chelmsford Road, Ranelagh, Dublin 6
