stones historical ireland

The Ogham stones were found built into the roof of a souterrain, and have a now been re-erected above ground and fenced off. The inscriptions are as follows: MANU MAGUNO GATI MOCOI MOCORBO CALUNOVIC. MAQI MUCOI LIT... MAQI-INI...TTEAS CUNALEGEA MAQI C ... SALAR CELI AVI QUECI BIGU MAQI LAG BIR MAQI MUCOI ROTTAIS MAQI NE ... ROTTAIS MAQI NE ... AS DENAVEC ... COI MEDALO BRO ... AS SOVALINI over which was later written DEAGOS MAQI MUCO ... NAI...

A standing stone 7 feet high. On the west face is a cross with a V-shaped ornament beneath it, and on the east face is a cross and four concentric circles. These last have been thought to belong to the art of the megalithic tombs; the stone however probably belongs to the Early Christian period....

A 9ft high pillar stone with crosses on two faces in suitably named Giantsgrave off the N24. Signposted....

Known as 'The Giant's Griddle' and recorded as such on the 1/2 inch O.S. Map, this handsome megalith is fairly well preserved despite forming part of a modern wall into which some of the cairn stones have been built. The chamber lacks at least one of its side stones, but the large capstone is still in position. A cupmarked stone is contained in the wall near the Griddle, and remains of a second tomb lie close by. This monument is not easy to find without asking directions locally, nor is...

At Drumaquern, Kilraughts about 5 miles from Ballymoney can be seen the Chi-Rho Stone, the most ancient Christian Symbol in the Borough. The stone, which dates from about the 4th century and is unique in Ireland, has the Chi-Rho sigh on one side and a reserved Rho on the other....

While standing stones are among the commonest field monuments in Ireland, stones that are holed in this fashion are quite rare. In the Tain Bo Cuailnge a story is told of Cethern , half out of his wits with pain. His enemies dressed the standing stone with King Ailill's golden shawl, and Cethern, believing it to be the king, rushed at it and drove his sword through it with such ferocity that the sword's pommel and Cethern's fist also went through the stone. The hole is significant in that in...

Two Ogham stones standing in an enclosure composed of an earthen ditch which also contained an iron-smelting pit. The inscriptions on the tow stones read: COLLABOT MUCOI LUGA MAQI LOBACCONA (Collabot son of Lug son of Lobchu) MEDUSI MACI LU (later corrected to )MUCOI LUGA. A third stone with the inscription RITUVVAS has been removed to the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin....

Ardmore is the oldest Christian settlement in Ireland. St. Declan lived in the period 350 -450 AD and christianised this area before the coming of St. Patrick. St. Declan's feast day is "Pattern Day" every 24th of July....

Seven of the eight Ogham stones in this group were discovered in a souterrain at Coolmagort in the nineteenth century and have been set up on this site close to Dunloe Castle. The tallest stone is 8 feet high. There is also a prostrate slab taken from the grounds of nearby Kilbonane church.

Ogham stones were frequently used as lintels in the construction of underground passages. Because of their long protection from exposure, the Dunloe inscriptions are unusually well preserved. A...

Rising picturesquely above a gorse-grown rocky outcrop, on the crest of a hill commanding a broad sweep of countryside, this shapely 'hole stone' is a good example of its type and a familiar landmark in the locality. Typical of places where the dumping of refuse is specifically prohibited, the immediate area abounds in unsightly litter. A tapered dolerite slab about 5 feet high and 21/2 feet wide at the base, it is pierced with a circular hole 3 inches in diameter, neatly cut, with smooth...