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Anciently sacred because horizon shape & cyclical celestial patterns are in useful harmony at this place.

Orange lines mark the annual solar round. Lunistice positions over the 18.6 year lunar nodal cycle are blue. More about the Solar CalendarMore about the Lunar Calendar

mega-what / ancient sacred places / Ireland, West Cork, Bantry

Cullomane East: Standing Stone Pair CO118-076

NGR 10393/04512 (IW 03923 ITM 45129 / 51.65099, -9.38888) [Googlemap]

Trajectories 1200BCE. Tap/Click pics for big ones.
NE from Cullomane East Standing Stone Pair, Cork, Ireland. This Standing Stone at Cullomane (Colomane) is between Bantry and Drimoleague, 2km or so west of Dromore. First officially listed as a Standing Stone it has become a Stone Row in the online register.

On the 1944 OS map two stones were shown here, about 10m apart, with a generally north-west / south-east orientation between them. The 1845 map (1842 survey) also shows two stones but with a rather more east-west overall orientation.

So this would actually seem to be the site of an Anomalous Stone Pair such that two stones some distance apart have individual axes dissimilar to the overall monument axis.

Panoramic view with luni-solar trajectories from Cullomane East Standing Stone Pair, Cork, Ireland.

South is on a rise that is on the eastern slope of a dip [Pic]. To the left, lunar minor standstillLunistice positions vary cyclically over an 18.6 year period but are fairly static for more than a year at either end of the range is in the dip before the next hilltop. To the right its major standstillLunistice positions vary cyclically over an 18.6 year period but are fairly static for more than a year at either end of the range. The following dips are: To the left equinoctial, right winter cross-quarters. Then, equinox/ cross-quarter mid­points are at either end of the dip (left) and either end of a slope (right). Major standstillLunistice positions vary cyclically over an 18.6 year period but are fairly static for more than a year at either end of the range is on a high point to the left and, to the right, in the following dip. North is in a dip [Pic].

NE from Cullomane East Standing Stone Pair, Cork, Ireland. The north-east horizon has been opti­mised for the lunisticeLunistices are the most northerly and southerly moons of the month. The lunar equivalent of solstices - more. range, with major standstillLunistice positions vary cyclically over an 18.6 year period but are fairly static for more than a year at either end of the range on nearby Inchybegga Hill and minor standstillLunistice positions vary cyclically over an 18.6 year period but are fairly static for more than a year at either end of the range marked by a small hump (concealed behind a tree in this photo but clearly visible from the adjacent site from where it marks the cross-quarter). Between these endpoints, Glanatnaw Hill gives other lunar markers as well as having the summer solstice sunrise in its central dip.

E from Cullomane East Standing Stone Pair, Cork, Ireland. The eastern horizon is distant and prov­ides many good markers.

The equinox is marked by a hill. To either side, equinox/cross-quarter mid­points are marked by dips.

Further to the south-east, the winter cross-quarters are bracketed quarter-months at hill top and foot.

SE from Cullomane East Standing Stone Pair, Cork, Ireland. The long eastern slope of Coom­nagoragh mountain measures out the lunisticeLunistices are the most northerly and southerly moons of the month. The lunar equivalent of solstices - more. zone, from the dip at its base to a prominent notch towards its top.

SW from Cullomane East Standing Stone Pair, Cork, Ireland. South-westwards, the major standstillLunistice positions vary cyclically over an 18.6 year period but are fairly static for more than a year at either end of the range is at a prominent step on the south side of Derry­vahalla mountain and the dip in its top is a lunar sixteenth. Minor standstillLunistice positions vary cyclically over an 18.6 year period but are fairly static for more than a year at either end of the range is at the far base of the ridge, with the lunar minor eighth in the notch between the last pair of hills. The east base of that pair is a half-month off winter solstice.

The stone axis points just beyond major standstillLunistice positions vary cyclically over an 18.6 year period but are fairly static for more than a year at either end of the range [Pic].

W from Cullomane East Standing Stone Pair, Cork, Ireland. To the west, winter cross-quarters are in the lowest dip and equinox/summer cross-quarter mid­point is at the next slope base. Summer cross-quarter fails to hit the hilltop in favour of minor standstillLunistice positions vary cyclically over an 18.6 year period but are fairly static for more than a year at either end of the range being at the foot of the following upslope.

NW from Cullomane East Standing Stone Pair, Cork, Ireland. On the north-western horizon, the obvious notch in the centre of the ridge is both lunar mid­point and a half-month off the summer solstice. Either side of it, the lunar limits and eighths fall very conveniently.

This is lowest and south-east-most of a local group of monuments that utilise these same horizons in slightly different ways from positions about 200m apart. The nearest is: Anomalous Stone Group CO118-074002.

A further variant usage of Glanatnaw Hill to the north-east may be seen from Inchybegga Stone Circle, 1.3km nearer to it.

Other anomalous Standing Stone pairs of the same general type may be found at:

A Stone Axe was found, not far from here, in 2005, See Details

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© Michael Wilson.