The old cemetery at Slievemore lies to the east of the deserted village and I imagine is the final resting place of many who either lived there or were descendant of those who did. The older part of the graveyard is very densely populated with burials and the remains of what may have been a church, the national monuments service website lists it as such, or a mortuary house. The Dúchas Schools Collection of the 1930s does have two mentions of this small structure as the house of a man named “Darby the Runner who came to Achill long ago” though I have not read anything similar to this from any other source.  

A new cemetery is built adjacent to this ancient burial ground and a small ritual well at its centre. It is believed this is a pre-Christian well that was then assigned to St Colman, I have read of two tales in the Dúchas Schools Collection in relation to this. Both mention the positioning of seven white stones on the wall at the well as an offering and indeed on the day of my visit I counted tens of white stones neatly positioned beside the well. One of the stories does mention something far more unusual, “There is a little worm in St. Colman’s, and the old people believe that antics of the worm and they know what is going to happen for the year. The first person that goes to it will have their wish, when they go to it they get seven white stones and they take off their shoes and they go around the well seven times. The prayers they say are seven “Our Fathers” and seven “Hail Marys” and seven Glory be to the Fathers and the Apostles’ Creed. When they have said the prayers they throw in the stones in the well. They wash their feet and faces and hands, when they are going they leave some things at it”, – recorded by Miss Eileen Lavelle, told to her by her mother Mrs Anthony Lavelle from Dugort (1938). However a second entry by a John Lavelle told to him by Bridgie Gallagher would make one far more nervous of the worm, “We have a Blessed Well at Slievemore, the name of it is St. Colmans. The particular day for going to it is the 15th August, the old people say that there is a tradition in going to Blessed Wells, the first person that will be at it early in the morning will have his wish. The old people say that there is an omen in Blessed Wells, some people say that there is a little worm in it and if he comes up to the top of the water you or some one belonging to you will die”.

GPS: 53.99595, -10.0741