stones historical ireland

"For the late Stone Age, Knowth was one of Europe's gretest public buildings. To describe it as a massive and majestic masterpiece that reflected the pride and pomp of contemporary society is not an exaggeration"....

The length of trail is 8km (5 miles). The actual walking will take you 2 - 2.5 hours, but there is a lot to see on the Trail, so you should allow 4 - 5 hours if you are to enjoy it fully.

The route is marked by yellow arrows on limestone plaques, with an occasional - walking man - symbol. There are stiles wherever you need to cross a wall....

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....

A tall Standing Stone believed to mark a prehistoric grave site....

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...

A small, rounded stone decorated with incised curvilinear ornament in the Celtic La Tene style. It probably dates to the last few centuries B.C. and was probably ritual in purpose. Together with the stone at Turoe, Co. Galway (q.v.), it is one of the best of the Celtic decorated stones of Europe....

A group of eight Ogham stones removed to their present position in the last century. The one in the centre came from the church at Kilbonane, while those forming a circle came to light in 1838 as forming part of the roof of a souterrain at Coolmagort which contained some human remains. The stone in the centre has one the edges the inscriptions B.... AGNI MAQI ADDILONA (B. son of A.) and NAGUNI MUCO BAIDANI (N. Son(/) of B.), while on the face the inscription reads NIR .... MN. DAGIESSICONIDDAL...

Less than 200m from Kilree Church is Glun Brighde (St. Brigid's Knee) a stone with the imprint of St. Brigid's knees, while a little further north is the inevitable blessed well dedicated to her....

An Ogham stone about 8 feet high which may originally have been a Bronze Age standing stone. The inscription reads LGG....SD....LE ESCAD on one side, and on the other MAW CORRBRI MAQ AMLOITT....

An Ogham stone, placed in a niche beside the road, bearing the inscription NETA-CARI NEGA CAGI...