This could be what I've been looking for since I attended the Discover Odin lectures by Julian Cope at the British Museum in October. Is this place Ysdragil in Ireland?
The stone stands proud on top of a manmade mound by the side of the road. Unfortunately, it is not possible to get near this stone due to some heavy security on the premises. I don't know what they do here but it sounds serious.
This stone could actually have great importance in the sacred history of Ireland.
Click Thumbnail to View Full Size Image
_
_
_All Sites Visited On 4th November 2001 « Previous Site Next Site »
I have driven past this place again and again, but never stopped. This time the sun on the little knoll was so sweet as I drove home I had to pull over and take some pictures. I am still intrigued by this mound. Early accounts of Dowth and Newgrange say they both had standing stones on their summits. Could this mound hold a passage tomb inside? If so it would be a good link between those in the Wicklow mountains and the small cluster in south Kilkenny.
Click Thumbnail to View Full Size Image
_
_As we were passing we just had to pull over nad take a picture of this great standing stone with a bull stood next to it.
Click Thumbnail to View Full Size Image
_Follow the N9 south from Kilcullen and at around 6 km look out to the left. You can not miss this stone.
Extract from the proceedings of the Dail 1986
The Long Stone at Kilgowan is a granite monolith about seven feet six inches high and is unusual among standing stones in that it has a small cross with slightly expanded terminals cut on one face. It stands at the north west end of an esker ridge running north west to south east at an attitude of 400 feet to 500 feet. Gravel digging in this ridge was noted in 1969 and this led to the monument being listed under the National Monuments Acts in 1971.In spite of this, it was noted early in 1973 that gravel extraction was continuing to progress in the direction of the monument. The land in question had then come into the ownership of Naas Concrete Ltd. who sought permission to remove the stone in order to extract gravel without further hindrance. The Commissioners of Public Works responded with a preservation order in May 1973.
The lands then passed to Spollen Concrete (Naas) Ltd. Correspondence with this firm and a subsequent site meeting in September 1975, when the boundaries of the protected area were pointed out, elicited assurances from the firm that no further disturbance would take place within this area. That bears repeating: correspondence with this firm and a subsequent site meeting in September 1975, when the boundaries of the protected area were pointed out, elicited assurances from the firm that no further disturbance would take place within this area. Subsequent inspections indicated that this undertaking was being observed at the time. However, in May 1985 the commissioners were advised by Kildare County Council that an application had been submitted by the Spollen Concrete Group for permission to extract gravel from various lands at Kilgowan including the area covered by the preservation order. The commissioners objected to such operations within the area covered by the preservation!
order.
212
[212] On 3 November 1986 the chief archaeologist of the Office of Public Works received a report concerning further damage to the site. He immediately contacted the Kildare County Council who stopped the work. The Office of Public Works arranged also for the site to be inspected on the same day by an archaeologist from the Office of Public Works who found that an access route had been cut through the preserved area to an area to the east of the site where further gravel was to be extracted. Information was also obtained from a local antiquarian that during bulldozing operations on the previous Friday, 31 October 1986, he had noted two exposed inhumation burials, a head to the west and surrounded by flagstones and the scattered remains of other skeletons. At the time of inspection spoil had been thrown up on either side of the new access route and also down the slope so that no archaeological features in situ could be seen although numerous pieces of bone and flagstones were visible in the spoil.
A Random Selection of Nearby Monuments
 Graigue (Co. Kerry) |  Ballybrack (Co. Donegal) |  Cashelkeelty (Co. Kerry) |
 Cuchulain's Stone (Co. Louth) |  Killbarrymeaden (Co. Waterford) |  Balrothery (Co. Dublin) |
