Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Stone head
Killaspuglonane, County Clare, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Killaspuglonane
- County
- Clare
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 52.95678, -9.34241
- SMR number
- CL015-059004-
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1753 "Mappa geographica Regni Hiberniae" (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
This record is for the original location of a carved stone head found in 1971 beside Tobarlonane holy well (CL015-059005-) adjacent to a large ecclesiastical enclosure (CL015-059001-). The head was carved in relief on one side of a trapezoidal limestone block. The face is oval with eyes, ears, eyebrows, mouth, nose, and hairline depicted. Swan (1987, 165) has drawn comparisons with Irish Romanesque stone heads, suggesting a 12th century date. He argues that the stone originated as an architectural element, probably a voussoir. Its location at the holy well was secondary and it was probably taken there from the rubble of the adjacent medieval church (CL015-059002-) as an object of veneration. The present location is in the National Museum of Ireland (DU018-160----) and a replica has been placed at the well.
Reference:
Swan, L 1987 A carved stone head from Killaspuglonane, Co. Clare. In Rynne, E. (ed.) Figures from the past: studies on figurative art in Christian Ireland, 159-67. Glendale Press. Dublin.
Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Eve Campbell
Date of upload: 11 July 2023
Nearby in the register
- Ritual site - holy wellunder 1 mi
- Churchunder 1 mi
- Ecclesiastical enclosureunder 1 mi
- Buildingunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.