Ogham stone (present location)

The National Monuments Service's description

This is the present location at Coláiste Íde of an ogham stone from Ballinrannig townland (KE042-057008-), site name Cillvickillane/Cill Mhic Uíleáin: A storm at the end of the 18th century exposed 7 ogham stones, a possible fragment of an 8th ogham stone, a cross-inscribed stone, a number of graves and quantities of bone, and the ruins of several houses (Windele 1838, 145). Windele's sketch of the site shows the ogham stones set out in a rough semi-circle on top of the mound with a slab-lined grave positioned nearby. Lord Ventry removed 6 of the ogham stones from the site in the mid-19th century; nos. 1 to 4 now line the driveway to Burnham House/Colaiste Íde (KE053-012004-, KE053-012005-, KE053-012006-, KE053-012007-), between Dingle and Ventry; nos. 5 and 6 are preserved in the grounds of Chute Hall (KE027-132----, KE027-241----) near Tralee and no. 7 remains at the original site (KE042-057003-).
This stone stands 1.16m high and is c. 0.34m wide and 0.14m thick. The reading of the full inscription is uncertain and only the following letters survive:
( )NAVICAS MAQI MUCO(I) ( )S. The scores preceding the N are extremely faint; O'Kelly (annotation to personal copy of Macalister's Corpus) and Windele (1848, 448) interpreted these as OD, whereas Macalister (1945, 146-7, no. 150) read G followed by R instead of N. The final word, occupying the diametrically opposed angle of the stone, is represented by only a single letter. Macalister supplied the name DOVVINIAS here but no earlier accounts allude to this and it may have been a conjectural restoration. (Cuppage 1986, no. 792 (No. 3))

Compiled by: Nora White

Date of upload: 30 November 2016

References

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

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