Standing stone

The National Monuments Service's description

'These stones were marked on the second edition of the OS map as Gallauns-site of. A search of the field in which they were marked revealed that they were, in fact, removed during clearance of the field and deposited beside the field boundary. These stones are of red sandstone, and are very noticeable as they occur in an area of limestone. They comprise of two complete rectilinear boulders and a third one which is now split and lies in two pieces immediately to the north. All the stones are rectangular in section. The largest is 2.63m in length, 0.90m in width and 0.38m thick. The middle one is 1.25m in length, 0.55m in width and 0.45m thick. The smallest stone lies in two pieces as stated above. The larger of the two fragments measures 0.60m in length, 0.90m in width and 0.30m thick. The smaller fragment measures 0.22m in length, 0.40m in width and 0.20m thick. This in effect gives a total length of 0.82m for the third stone. All the boulders tapered slightly towards the top. As the stones decreased/increased in height in a uniform way from largest to smallest. It is most likely that this is, in fact, the remains of a three-stone alignment.' O'Donovan (1841) recorded a stone fort (Tonakilla Fort KE038-003005-) east of the church at Annagh [KE038-003001-]. He also noted that at the south-east side of the caher there were eight stones, six of which are laid prostrate, and two are standing upright, and placed as if forming the "head and foot of a grave, at a distance of 10 feet asunder". This description was subsequently quoted by Borlase (1875,5). Cross reference with KE037-049----

Compiled by Michael Connolly for the Archaeological Survey of Ireland as part of a survey of the Lee Valley area in 1996-97.

Date of upload: 23 May 2012

References

Killanin, M.M. and Duignan, M.V. 1962 Shell Guide to Ireland. London. Ebury Press.

Borlase, W.C. 1897 The Dolmens of Ireland, 3 vols. London. Chapman and Hall.

OSL - Ordnance Survey Letters. Letters written by members of the Ordnance Survey's 'Topographical Department' (T. O'Conor, A. O'Curry, E. Curry, J. O'Donovan and P. O'Keeffe) sent to headquarters from the field (1834-41). MSS in Royal Irish Academy.

Irish Tourist Association. Surveys undertaken in the 1940s for the Irish Tourist Association (now Fáilte Ireland) relating to ‘Natural features, antiquities, historic associations etc.' Extracts from these surveys were copied into the Topographical files of the Office of Public Works and these have been incorporated into the Sites and Monuments Record files (National Monuments Service).