'Punchestown' : Standing Stone
Visit Notes
Sunday, 26th August 2001
There is so little to say about this stone except that it is MASSIVE !!! 5.5 meters tall. It used to be 7 meters but was erected shorter when it fell in the 1930s. Situated in an inaccessible field just off the road the only thing this has to offer is a humbling feeling caused by its sheer size. Some reports on this one state it's quite difficult to find. Wrong! See below.
Sunday, 11th November 2001
I revisited this site to retake the photos on the way to Baltracey (County Kildare). Somehow it seemd a little better this time, perhaps because I took the time to look for better views and angles.
Friday, 27th September 2002
Getting close to this stone is a must and I finally took the time to find a way into the field. Walk 100m or so down the road towards the race course and the hedges end and access is easy. By the gods it's huge! And its needle like shape make it all the more so.
Saturday, 7th December 2002
Melissa was very impressed with the over-powering 'phallicness' of this stone. Once again I was struck by how different this apparently evenly shaped stone looks from different angles.
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Sunday, 23rd November 2003
Back again! And how different this stone looks on a frosty winter's morning. The sun kept breaking through and the refelections off the white, frost-encrusted grass gave a truly magical, mystical and surreal feel to the whole area.
When I first arrived a great big crow was perched on the apex of the stone, surveying the field. I managed to get a photo of him sat up there, which I really hope turns out. It really did add a 'spooky' feel to the rest of my stay here this morning.
Like this monument
Marked Sites
Directions
From Naas head south down the R411. At the first major cross road turn left and go passed the race course. Keep looking over the hedge to the right and after about 1 km you will see the stone. It is opposite a very large, very new house.
Miscellanea
The stone fell in 1931 and was rerected a few years later. It is Ireland's tallest standing stone. An empty burial cist was discovered at its base.
Random Gazetteer
A Selection of Other Standing Stones
About Coordinates Displayed
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This is an explanation of (and a bit of a disclaimer for) the coordinates I provide. Where a GPS figure is given this is the master for all other coordinates. According to my Garmin these are quite accurate. Where there is no GPS figure the 6 figure grid reference is master for the others. This may not be very accurate as it could have come from the OS maps and could have been read by eye. Consequently, all other cordinates are going to have inaccuracies. The calculation of Longitude and Latitude uses an algorithm that is not 100% accurate. The long/lat figures are used as a basis for calculating the UTM & ITM coordinates. Consequently, UTM & ITM coordinates are slightly out. UTM is a global coordinate system - Universal Transverse Mercator - that is at the core of the GPS system. ITM is the new coordinate system - Irish Transverse Mercator - that is more accurate and more GPS friendly than the Irish Grid Reference system. This will be used on the next generation of Irish OS maps. |
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