I trundled over to these stones, which are hauntingly set beneath large a tree with glorious old farm machinery plonked in their midst and the grass high enough to make a good photo impossible, after getting permission from the farm next door (not opposite). The farmer opposite had told me a few stories, which were buzzing around my head as I approached. Just five or six stones remain now, but some of them are set and clearly mark out a circle. There is nothing to indicate why this place was chosen as a site, or if there is modern planting and houses obscure it from view.
The stones are said to be the gravestones of 5 women who all loved one man. Somehow they all ended up dead - so did the man.
Another local tale tells of the land owner in the forties cutting down a tree at the circle and never having any luck since. He ended up having to sell the farm. It is also said that he chopped off one of his labourers legs whilst doing it.
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. |