Inchybegga: Five Stone Circle CO119-032

Inchybegga Stone Circle is between Bantry and Drimo­league, about 1km north-west of Dromore village. The stones are small and the axial stone is displaced.

South is on top of Inchybegga hill but both south-eastern and south-western slopes are obscured by bushes and banks [Pic].

North is at a signficant point of the ridge across the vally [Pic].

To the north-east, twin-peaked Glanatnaw hill is indicated by the circle axis [Pic]. The north top, just the higher from here, is summer solstice sunrise, the south basal step of the hill is the summer cross-quarter and the south hilltop is halfway in time between them.

The minor end of the lunisticeLunistices are the most northerly and southerly moons of the month. The lunar equivalent of solstices - more. range is at the first step in the slope above the cross-quarter, the lunar mid­point is marked by a minor high-point between the two hilltops and the major end of the cycle is at the south basal intersect of the next hill.

Eastwards, the equinox falls at the lowest point of the horizon. This usefully undulating section of far horizon is framed by a dip in the nearer ground.

To the south-east it looks as though the intersect between the distant horizon and local hill slope is in the vicinity of winter cross-quarter / minor lunar 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 but a field boundary obscures the view.

The south-west is also obscured by a field boundary. It looks as though the winter solstice is at a break between the steeper hilltop and gentler lower slope.

To the west, the intersect of local slope with further horizons is somewhere in the vicinity of the winter cross-quarter / equinox mid­point. Spratt Hill top is a quarter-month south of the equinox. The ridge north of Spratt Hill undulates usefully to its intersect with the nearer west ridge of Dromore hill which is a quarter-month south of the cross-quarter.

North-westwards, a nearby ridge provides a north-west lunisticeLunistices are the most northerly and southerly moons of the month. The lunar equivalent of solstices - more. range and an obvious step in it marks both the mid­point and summer solstice.

This circle may have become partly buried by soil creep over the years as the hillslope is quite steep. There are indications of structure in the ground such that there is a lower level outside the circle to the north and north-east that is fairly flat. This structure shows up clearly on Google Earth as a C-shape, with the circle at its bottom right.

Another group of sites, 1.3km further to the south-west in Cullomane East also exploit a north-eastern view towards the useful profile of Glanatnaw Hill.

• Boulder-Burial CO118-071003
• Five Stone Circle CO118-073001
• Standing Stone CO118-073002
• Anomalous Stone Group CO118-074002
• Standing Stone / Pair CO118-076

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References

• Archaeological Survey of Ireland, record details. www.archaeology.ie/archaeological-survey-ireland
• Ó'NUALLÁIN, SEÁN 1975 The Stone Circle Complex of Cork and Kerry. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 105:83-131, no.71.
• Ó'NUALLÁIN, SEÁN 1984 A Survey of Stone Circles in Cork and Kerry. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 84c:1-77, p43, no.87.
• POWER, D. et al. 1992 Archaeological Inventory of County Cork, Volume 1: West Cork. Dublin: Stationary Office. p25, no.77.