Ogham stone

The National Monuments Service's description

Hitchcock discovered this ogham stone acting as a lintel in a cottage on this townland. According to Windele it had previously served a similar function in a house in the neighbouring Magherabeg townland (OS 27), but Hitchcock was informed that it had been brought from one of the Magharee Islands (OS 19). Magherabeg occupies part of the Magharees Peninsula which extends N from Castlegregory and perhaps the confusion arises from the application of the same name to both peninsula and islands (Macalister 1945, 184-5, no. 192). However the possibility that the stone did come from one of the islands, perhaps from the church site on Ilauntannig (KE019-002002-), cannot be discounted. It is now preserved in the NMI [DU018-395----]. It is a rectangular block of sandstone measuring at least 1.15m in height and .3 x .18m at base. The inscription extends along one angle and is damaged where a fragment has broken away from the top of the stone. It reads: QENILOCGNI MAQI D.... . McManus (1991, 7) notes that 'the omission of a single vowel notch gives QENILOCGNI instead of an expected QENILOCAGNI. Traces of a single score are visible about .09m above the D. According to Macalister there was a small and insignificant incised cross beside the opposite angle but this is not now discernible.’ (Cuppage 1986, no. 808)

This stone has been studied as part of the ‘Ogham in 3D’ project undertaken by the School of Celtic Studies, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. To access details go to the following website: https://ogham.celt.dias.ie/search.php?ciic=192

Compiled by: Nora White

Date of upload: 16 November 2016

References

Macalister, R.A.S. 1945 Corpus inscriptionum insularum celticarum. Dublin. Stationery Office.

Macalister, R.A.S. 1946 Monasterboice. Dundalk. Tempest.

Cuppage, J. 1986 Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne.