eightercua

Arrestingly sited on a ridge where it commands the attention of travellers on the road south-east of Waterville, this is one of the more accessible alignments in a county which affords several fine examples.

Its four monumental stones, up to 10 feet in height, extend east to west for 30 feet. This appears to have been part of a more complex structure. There are traces of an enclosure, or possibly the base of a cairn, on the south side, as well as what looks like remnants of a megalithic tomb adjoining the alignment.

According to local tradition, this is the burial place of the wife of Amergin, chief of the legendary Milesian invaders. It is interesting to note that the date given in the annuals for their arrival in Ireland, c 1700 BC, corresponds with the period to which one would expect this monument to belong.

Alignments, called stone rows in Britain, are well represented in the counties of Cork and Kerry, where perhaps fifty are known. They are usually built on elevated ground and often appear conspicuous on the skyline, which may have been a necessary part of their function.