stones historical ireland

A squared pillarstone of monumental appearance, 7 feet high and 3 feet wide. its south-eastern face is decorated with a profusion of cup-marks, many with single and multiple surrounding rings, a characteristic motif of the Galician or rock art of the Bronze Age. The stone is in a field behind a farmhouse, 1 mile north-north-east of Muff, to the west of the coast road to Carrowkeel and Moville....

A standing stone which tradition associates with the death of CuChulainn, the legendary hero of the old Irish saga, the Tain Bo Cuailgne. When CuChulainn was dying of his wounds which he got while trying to ward off the army of Queen Maeve of Connacht single-handed, he tied himself to this stone. while he was still alive his enemies kept their distance. It was only when a raven came and rested on his shoulder that they knew he was dead. The scene is commemorated in a statue standing in the G...

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

St Vauk or Beoc's Stone, a huge boulder on which the Saint is said to have floated across the Irish Sea in the 6th century....

A standing stone, 17 feet high, looking almost like a modern piece of sculpture.
An ogham inscription, possibly added later, reads MAQI-DECCEDDAS AVI TURANIAS (Of the son of Deich descendant of Torainn).- To no one is really sure what the scription on the stones means or who was Deich or Torainn.

As the stone is standing on private land, visitors will be asked to pay 2euro to the land owner to see the stone....

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....

What's New - * Egyptian Pyramid Stones - The best known hieroglyphs tell of the Gods and History of Ancient Egypt. e.g. Ankh, Scarab, Eye of Horus etc.

* Celtic Empire Bowls Isu Pots, makers of the now famous Celtic Ogham Stones, are developing a range of low fired, smokey pottery.
The style and decoration is based on Celtic, Iron Age La Tene style decoration. We call them Celtic Empire Bowls....

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...

This little known and somewhat difficult to find monument, 'Diarmuid and Grainne's Bed', is located on a farm 1 mile south of Carrowkeel (alias Kerrykeel) village and about 1/4 mile to the east of the road to Rathmelton. The portal stones are a well matched pair some 6 feet high, supporting the front edge of a craggy, cup-marked capstone which has been slightly displaced...