There are reportedly over 70 cup and ring markings on five panels spread over the surrounding area to this site, but the farmer seemed reluctant to even tell us how find this one. We had a bit of luck here to be honest. I just saw a farmer, pulled over and we asked him about the stones and this one was just 400m awat down a track.
The panels we saw are amazing. The finest has a cup with seven rings around it and a gutter that cuts through the inner five rings. The two outer rings are not complete. The carvings on this rock face east.
In front of this panel is a deep cup with a single ring. To the north of the main motif are two other rocks which bear carvings, mainly cups and cups with single rings.
The farmer did tell us that someone from one of the Dublin universities had spent the summer surveying the entire area, so I look forward to seeing the results of that (if they ever get published). A small excavation trench was just visible in front of these carvings and the farmer mentioned pot and bone having been found, but said he has not heard anything about dates etc yet.
The rocks in this spot run in a line across the top of a low mound over a rocky outcrop and point directly at the magificent form of Slieve Gullion to the north.
A Random Selection of Nearby Monuments
Carrigeenshinnagh (Co. Wicklow) | Onagh (Co. Wicklow) | Churchtown (Co. Down) |
Kinard East (Co. Kerry) | Crannagh (Co. Carlow) | Ticlash (Co. Wicklow) |