mega-what / ancient sacred places / Cork-Kerry Complex

Unsurveyed: Notes on unsurveyed major monuments within the original study area.

To ensure a "fair" sample, the original survey area was chosen to contain approximately 20% of the total of Cork/Kerry Stone Circle Complex monuments known at that time. The area was bounded by the coastline and, to the east and north by OS 6" map sheet boundaries - these would be NGR easting 148000 & northing 050000. All monuments of the stone circle complex were examined, including over 100 Standing Stones but excluding the few sites on off-shore islands. For various reasons a number of major monuments were not surveyed. They are all listed below together with brief notes from when they were visited.


Ceancullig: Standing Stone Pair CO119-02702. NGR: 11359/04886
Both stones fallen, Standing Stone CO119-02701 80m to the N gone.

Ó'NUALLÁIN, SEÁN 1988 Stone Rows in the South of Ireland. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 88c:179-256, p247, no.129.
POWER, D. et al. 1992 Archaeological Inventory of County Cork, Volume 1: West Cork. Dublin: Stationary Office. p40, no.177.

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Inishbeg: Boulder-burial CO150-004. NGR:10662/03085
The displaced capstone shows a few faint cupmarks, but its original orientation is uncertain. On flat ground at the highest part of the east of the island with local higher ground to the west. North of this, trees and bushes interfere with views towards Mts Gabriel & Corrin. NE is obscured by forestry, the E and SE are visible from Lick hill to Cape Clear.

POWER, D. et al. 1992 Archaeological Inventory of County Cork, Volume 1: West Cork. Dublin: Stationary Office. p32, no.123.

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Gortnalour, Clear Island: Boulder-burial CO153-011. NGR:09716/02256
Not included in the survey area.

O'NUALLÁIN, SEÁN 1978 Boulder-Burials. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 78c:75-114, p96, no.35.
POWER, D. et al. 1992 Archaeological Inventory of County Cork, Volume 1: West Cork. Dublin: Stationary Office. p32, no.122.

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Comillane, Clear Island: Short Stone Row CO153-012. NGR:09748/02306
Not included in the survey area.

Ó'NUALLÁIN, SEÁN 1988 Stone Rows in the South of Ireland. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 88c:179-256, p237, no.56.
POWER, D. et al. 1992 Archaeological Inventory of County Cork, Volume 1: West Cork. Dublin: Stationary Office. p35, no.143.

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Ballyroe: Boulder-burial CO133-089. NGR:12228/03940
Ballyroe, Possible Boulder-burial CO133-090. NGR:12236/03938

The boulder-burial is nearest the road and has a displaced capstone, both are on a flat area N of slightly higher ground so no significant horizons to S. To the W a farm & trees obscure the horizons but NW through to E is clear and potentially useful. 65m to the SE, the "possible" one is triangular, pyramidal, low corner E, high flat face W. A prominent local hump @ 239° is perhaps SWmin ish from here, SWmid ish from the other site but obscured.

POWER, D. et al. 1992 Archaeological Inventory of County Cork, Volume 1: West Cork. Dublin: Stationary Office. p396, nos.3527, 3532.

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Knocknageehy: Possible Boulder-Burial CO134-078. NGR:13152/03721
This one has four visible support stones and sits on good earth near a river, lozenge shaped with a bit of a tail SE and cupmarked. Some 860m ENE of Bohonagh Stone Circle and 687m SW of Standing Stone CO134-078 but not intervisible with either. Horizons largely obscured by trees.

POWER, D. et al. 1992 Archaeological Inventory of County Cork, Volume 1: West Cork. Dublin: Stationary Office. p32, no.136.

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Freahanes: "Megalithic Structure" CO134-102. NGR:12988/03876
A "boulder-burial" like structure on four supports, one at each corner, close to a hedge and heavily overgrown with brambles. Calculation shows Standing Stone CO134-078 is possibly SEmid from here and intervisibility looks possible but the sightline (and much of the horizon) is obscured by trees.

POWER, D. et al. 1992 Archaeological Inventory of County Cork, Volume 1: West Cork. Dublin: Stationary Office. p114, no.933.

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Sarue: Standing Stone Pair CO134-084. NGR:12847/04291
The site is a level terrace S of a ridge top. Open to NE, featureless ridge forming horizon to S, an intersect notch between the two ridges SW. About 5m apart, both stones prostrate, SW stone is small flat slab, NE much larger & squarer. Possible axis of pair around about 55°. Reverse notch is 231° into trees.

The SW stone was upright in 1985/6, fallen by 2001 and re-erected without archaeological supervision during the winter of 2006/2007.

POWER, D. et al. 1992 Archaeological Inventory of County Cork, Volume 1: West Cork. Dublin: Stationary Office. p25, no.200.

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Maulatanvally: Anomalous stone group CO121-055. NGR:12606/04448
382m NW of the multiple-stone circle, a trapezium of four low stones on a flat area below a hilltop, which obscures the SW, otherwise open all round. The S two stones embedded in a field boundary and the NW one are all quartz, the SW one now fallen, is sandstone. Height order is SE, NE, NW, SW.

POWER, D. et al. 1992 Archaeological Inventory of County Cork, Volume 1: West Cork. Dublin: Stationary Office. p112, no.921.

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Lettergorman: Four-poster CO121-03302. NGR:12674/04725
Lettergorman, Standing Stone CO121-03301. NGR:12669/04726

These two are on a ridge top with good views to the NW. S & SW is locally higher ground, bushes obscure the E horizon. The supposed four-poster consists of three stones, there being no extant physical evidence for a fourth. The very square Standing Stone is about 45m due W of the group and thus has a possible equinoctial relationship with it.

Ó'NUALLÁIN, SEÁN 1984 Grouped Standing Stones, Radial-Stone Cairns and Enclosures in the South of Ireland. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 114:63-79, p70, no.4.
POWER, D. et al. 1992 Archaeological Inventory of County Cork, Volume 1: West Cork. Dublin: Stationary Office. p27:no.85, p61:no.434.

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Knocks: Standing Stone Pair CO121-066. NGR:13039/04482
On investigation, this pair turned out to be the SW two stones of a linear arrangement consisting of possibly six stones, overall length 29m. The axis of this alignment is about 233°, consistent with a lunar min orientation but is unsurveyable due to its position in a hedgerow, both NE & SW horizons are obscured by trees / buildings.

Ó'NUALLÁIN, SEÁN 1988 Stone Rows in the South of Ireland. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 88c:179-256, p247, no.133.
POWER, D. et al. 1992 Archaeological Inventory of County Cork, Volume 1: West Cork. Dublin: Stationary Office. p44, no.196.

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Letter: Boulder-burial CO122-060. NGR:13524/04502
Letter, Possible Standing Stone CO122-065. NGR:13521/04455

This rectangular boulder with rounded edges, axis NW/SE (326°), sports a few cup-marks and has a large hawthorn growing against its N edge. Views to the E & NE are obscured by trees and buildings; hills from N round to SW seem to form some symmetry around an accurately equinoctial hilltop (az 269°, alt 1.1°, dec -0.09°). The SW intersect with a local hill which rises up to form the S horizon is full of trees and unsurveyable. On the SW flank of this hill, 471m away @ 183° was, on the 1842 OS map, a Standing Stone which might possibly have marked SWmax or perhaps the S limit of the zodiac.

O'NUALLÁIN, SEÁN 1978 Boulder-Burials. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 78c:75-114, p92, no.22.
POWER, D. et al. 1992 Archaeological Inventory of County Cork, Volume 1: West Cork. Dublin: Stationary Office. p32:no.125, p70:no.549.

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Carrig: Standing Stone Pair CO122-088. NGR:14219/04515
One stone of this pair remains but it has been accidentally knocked down and then re-erected without archaeological supervision; it bears a number of cup-marks on the S face.

Ó'NUALLÁIN, SEÁN 1988 Stone Rows in the South of Ireland. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 88c:179-256, p247, no.134.
POWER, D. et al. 1992 Archaeological Inventory of County Cork, Volume 1: West Cork. Dublin: Stationary Office. p40, no176.

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Clogagh North: Standing Stone Pair CO123-008. NGR:14538/04715
Both stones were erect in 1963, one fallen in 1985/6, both cleared away by 2001. Excavated & restored in 2013.

Ó'NUALLÁIN, SEÁN 1988 Stone Rows in the South of Ireland. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 88c:179-256, p247, no.135.
POWER, D. et al. 1992 Archaeological Inventory of County Cork, Volume 1: West Cork. Dublin: Stationary Office. p40, no.180.
O'Brien, W 2013 www.excavations.ie/report/2013/Cork/0024857/

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BarrysHall: Standing Stone Pair CO136-01701. NGR:14623/04269
An unequal pair with the tallest stone SW. Horizons much obscured by trees, also a house SW.

Ó'NUALLÁIN, SEÁN 1988 Stone Rows in the South of Ireland. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 88c:179-256, p248, no.139.
POWER, D. et al. 1992 Archaeological Inventory of County Cork, Volume 1: West Cork. Dublin: Stationary Office. p39, no.172.

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BarrysHall: Anomalous stone group CO136-01702. NGR:14626/04274
Two stones 1.8m apart, 44m NE of pair CO136-01701 and just NW of a line projected from the pair's alignment. A leaf-shaped upright slab to the W; semi-prostrate stone SE. Horizons obscured, as for the nearby pair.

POWER, D. et al. 1992 Archaeological Inventory of County Cork, Volume 1: West Cork. Dublin: Stationary Office. p110, no.896.

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