Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Bullaun stone
Inishcaltra Or Holy Island, County Clare, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Inishcaltra Or Holy Island
- County
- Clare
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 52.91509, -8.44880
- SMR number
- CL029-009028-
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 1790 "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
One of two bullaun stones located c. 35m SSW of the round tower (CL029-009010-) on Inis Cealtra. The other bullaun stone (CL029-009029-) is 0.9m to the N. A fairly flat rectangular stone (L 1.9m NNW-SSE; Wth 0.9m) is exposed at ground level and contains a circular water-filled depression (diam. 0.61m; D 0.21m) at the NNW end. Portion of the side of the depression at NW is broken away. A 4m square cutting around the adjacent bullaun was excavated in 1977 (de Paor 2013, 42-3). Numerous finds from the upper layers included whetstones, knife-blades, nails, clay pipe fragments, burnt bone, mortar, slag and chert chippings. An extension to this cutting in 1979 revealed this second bullaun. The soil near the two bullauns was heavily mottled with charcoal flecks and burnt material. A part of a stone pestle was also found which may have been used in the hollows of the bullauns. McNamara (1984, 31-2) described the two adjacent boulders as very similar in shape with depressions in similar locations on both.
Compiled by: Mary Tunney
Date of upload: 29 September 2015
References
McNamara, Rev. T.V. 1984 The bullaun stones of Holy Island. The Other Clare 8, 31-2.
de Paor †, L. 2013 Inis Cealtra: Archaeological investigations of the monuments on the island. North Munster Antiquarian Journal 53, 27-78.
Nearby in the register
- Metalworking siteunder 1 mi
- Bullaun stoneunder 1 mi
- Enclosureunder 1 mi
- House - medievalunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.