Bullaun stone

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 S. A low, roughly rectangular, limestone boulder (max. H at S 0.33m; L 1.8m NNW-SSE; Wth 1.1m) with rounded ends and a slightly convex upper surface. A subcircular depression (diam. 0.52m x 0.48m, D 0.24m) lies slightly S of centre. The depression is deep in relation to the height of the stone. A 4m square cutting around this 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 the second bullaun (CL029-009028-). 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

de Paor †, L. 2013 Inis Cealtra: Archaeological investigations of the monuments on the island. North Munster Antiquarian Journal 53, 27-78.

McNamara, Rev. T.V. 1984 The bullaun stones of Holy Island. The Other Clare 8, 31-2.