On the other side of Abbey Hill is the small hill of Oughtmama and beyond it, the more substantial Turlough Hill. In the valley between them lies the ruins of three churches, of which little is known. One can do a fine day's walk by strolling along the base of Oughtmama up to the holy well on it's western slope, continue along to the 'saddle' between the two hills and then continue on to Turlough Hill, where there are the ruins of both a hillfort and a cairn.
According to Cary Meehan "Sacred Ireland", the monastic settlement at Oughtmama (Ucht Mama - the breast/bosom of the hill)was founded by St. Colman who went on to found the monastery at Kilmacduagh - I haven't found any other reference to this.
Though it is thought that the monks on the site operated a horizontal mill on the site, I couldn't see any trace of a stream strong enough to power a mill wheel nearby. There is plenty of water though, aside from the stream that leads from the holy well downhill towards the churches - some of the surrounding fields, were quite waterlogged. The first mile of the walk (as far as the well) is over a well-maintained boreen. To reach the churches, one must either cross the fields from the path, or take the long way round, which is to walk up to the end of the boreen beyond the well, and skirt along the edge of the hazel woodland. I'd recommend the latter, since it avoids the need to walk across fields with animals in them. The day I was there, one of the fields had a bull in it - a rather grumpy character that spent most of his time bellowing at all and sundry.
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