Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Penitential station
Gortnagane, County Kerry, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Gortnagane
- County
- Kerry
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Penitential Station
- Latest-edition OS map
- Penitential Station
- Coordinates
- 52.04071, -9.25601
- SMR number
- KE068-022004-
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 1790 "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
In the N half of a cashel (KE068-022001-) named 'Cathair Craobh Dearg' and known locally as 'The City'. The penitential station consists of a cairn of stones (diam. 1m; H 0.7m) to the N of a mound (KE068-022009-). 'Rounds' were traditionally made here on 1st May, which marked the start of the festival of Bealtaine. Cronin (2001, 42-3) gives a detailed account of the sequence of the 'rounds'. The practice continues today and Mass is celebrated on the cairn on that day. Two possible hut sites (KE068-022010-, KE068-022011-) are to the ENE and NE, respectively.
See attached photographs courtesy of Amanda Clarke
Compiled by: Elizabeth Byrne, Ursula Egan and Sheila Ronan, Archaeological Survey Unit, University College, Cork.
Date of upload: 31 January 2011
Nearby in the register
- Hut siteunder 1 mi
- Hut siteunder 1 mi
- Moundunder 1 mi
- Ecclesiastical enclosureunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.