Stone row

The National Monuments Service's description

Prominently situated on bog-covered hillock on NW slopes of Knockbreteen. This row of five stones, aligned NE-SW, is 5.8m in overall length. It was excavated in 1977 (Lynch 1981, 69-74). The NE stone is 0.4m L, 0.25m T and 0.5m H. The next stone, 0.5m to SW, is 0.8m L, 0.3m T and 1.3m H. The third stone, 1.05m further to the SW, leans to the SW; it is 0.3m L, 0.45m T and 1.05m H. A fragment, 1.3m by 0.5m by 0.3m, has been split from this stone and lies beside it at the NE. The fourth stone, 0.9m from the third, is 0.5m L, 0.3m T and 0.95m H. Beside this is a prostrate slab, 3.5m in maximum dimension. The SW stone, 0.25m from the last, is 1.1m L, 0.35m T and 1.05m H. The only find recovered from the excavation was a thumb-shaped flint scraper. Charcoal from the basal peat overlying the site gave a C14 determination of 3265 ± 55 bp (GrN-9281). (Ó Nualláin 1988, 234, no. 33; Roberts 1988, Ch. 5, no. 29).

This is a National Monument in State Ownership.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 1: West Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1992). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Photographs attached:
CO092-019----_01: View of the stone row from E.
CO092-019----_02: View of the stone row from NW.
CO092-019----_03: View of the stone row from W.

Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009

References

Roberts, J. 1988 Exploring West Cork. Skibbereen. Key Books.

Ó Nualláin, S. 1988 Stone rows in the south of Ireland. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 88C, 179-256.

Lynch, A. 1981 Astronomical alignment or megalithic muddle? In D.Ó Corráin (ed.), Irish antiquity, 23-7. Cork. Tower books.