Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ritual site - holy/saint's stone
An Bhánrainn Bhán Theas, County Galway, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- An Bhánrainn Bhán Theas
- County
- Galway
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 53.22974, -9.53205
- SMR number
- GA091-002----
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
On the shoreline about 20m to the SW of the old section of the graveyard (GA091-001002-). According to Tim Robinson (pers. comm), this large boulder (4m N-S; 3m E-W; max. H 2m at W), shaped like the bows of a boat, is known locally as 'St Colm Cille's Boat'. It is believed that the saint sailed on it from Aran and that the mark of his (gigantic) hand is visible on the deck, and that grooves on the edges were worn by the oars and the anchor chain. Visitors to the nearby tidal holy wells (GA091-006---- and GA091-007----) take bits of it as relics. (Hardiman 1846, 63; O'Flanagan 1927, Vol. 3, 84-5; Killanin 1946-7, 130-31)
Compiled by: Olive Alcock
Date of upload: 17 February 2023
References
Killanin, L. 1954 Notes on some of the antiquities of the barony of Ballynahinch, Co. Galway. Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society 25, 92-103.
Hardiman, J. (ed) 1846 A chorographical description of West or H-Iar Connaught written in A.D. 1684 by Roderic O'Flaherty, Esq. Dublin.
O'Flanagan, Rev. M. (Compiler) 1927 Letters containing information relative to the antiquities of the county of Galway collected during the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1839. Typescript in 3 vols. Bray.
Nearby in the register
- Churchunder 1 mi
- Graveyardunder 1 mi
- Children's burial groundunder 1 mi
- Ritual site - holy wellunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.