Ogham stone

The National Monuments Service's description

During restoration work in the 19th century, this elaborate cross-slab with an ogham inscription was discovered at Caher Murphy, an oval cashel situated on the S slopes of Mount Eagle overlooking Dingle Bay. The slab measures 1.39m in height above the stand in which it is set, is .63m wide at base, and ranges between .02 and .13m in thickness. Both broad faces and both sides are decorated. The following description is summarised from information provided by Beití Ó Tuama. The upper portion of one face bears a Maltese cross within a subcircular frame, with a short stem pendant from the frame. The cross is formed by 4 sunken panels which are separated from the intervening panels in false relief by narrow grooves, 1cm wide x 1.5cm deep. Beneath this design, on either side of the stem, is a saltire crosslet, that on the left being a plain linear cross, that on the right having slightly expanded terminals. Directly beneath the stem of the main cross is a tunic-clad human figure. A head, upstanding hair (or a halo?), 2 eyes, and a mouth are faintly visible. Even more faint is a diamond-decorated short tunic, from which stick-like arms and legs protrude. The arms appear to bend at the elbows towards the body, and the feet turn outwards in opposing directions. A spiral and chevron design runs down either side of the face from below the main cross to below the human figure where the designs are linked by a C-curve which runs across the width of the stone. The upper part of the opposite face bears a Greek cross with widely-expanded terminals; within the lower terminal is a very slightly raised triangle. Beneath the right terminal is a plain, equal-armed crosslet, and a plain linear crosslet also occurs between the left terminal of the main cross and the edge of the stone. Beneath the crosses, a triple, figure of eight knot spans the width of the stone. The single strand from which the design is formed swings upwards and downwards at opposite ends of the design, and then runs across the width of the stone framing the figure of eights above and below. Much of one side of the stone is decorated with an interlace design, now quite worn. The other side bears an unintelligible ogham inscription on a vertical stem-line. At top the stem-line terminates in a circle, and at base it terminates in an oval beneath which is a diamond motif. If read from bottom to top, the inscription reads LBMCBDV. Macalister (1945, 175-7, no. 183) noted only the L before the M, and Rhys (1902, 378) read the 3 scores here as V.’ This stone now forms part of the ogham stone collection of the National Museum of Ireland and is currently housed in Daingean, Co. Offaly (OF018-196----). (Cuppage 1986, no. 568)

Compiled by: Nora White

Date of upload: 27 January 2017

References

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

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