Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Rock art
Coomasaharn, County Kerry, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Coomasaharn
- County
- Kerry
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 52.00036, -9.99680
- SMR number
- KE071-021----
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 1753 "Mappa geographica Regni Hiberniae" (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
The decorated surface of this large square boulder slopes upwards to NW, and measures 2.6m x 2m. The decoration is sparse, but every pockmark is clearly visible. Two ‘Key hole’ motifs are centrally located, one with a long groove extending to the edge of the stone. Two simple cupmarks and a short groove also occur on the rock (Finlay 1973, 47-9).
See attached drawing of rock art taken from O'Sullivan and Sheehan 1996, Fig. 49 (a)
The above description is derived from A. O'Sullivan and J. Sheehan (compilers), 'The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of South Kerry'. Cork University Press (1996), no. 278. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.
Date of upload: 28 July 2013
In a rough pasture field scattered with abundant boulders and rocks, on a steep SE-facing slope (224m), overlooking Coomasaharn Lake to SE. A slightly rough and fractured, sandstone rock (dims. 2.60m NW-SE; 2.00m NE-SW; max. H 0.40m), which has a sub-rectangular decorated surface (dims. 1.40m NW-SE; 1.10m NE-SW) with a SE-facing aspect. The motifs are clearly visible and largely incomplete, consisting of three cupmarks, two cup-and-keyhole motifs and linear grooves. The large cupmark (diam. 6cm; D 6mm) at SE-end of decorated surface has a small cupmark (diam. 2.5cm; D 4mm) c. 1cm to NW and a short groove (L 7cm; Wth 2cm; D 3mm) located c. 4cm to S. The third cupmark (diam. 5cm; D 8mm) is located on the NE margin of the decorated surface. Two ‘keyhole’ motifs are located centrally upon the decorated surface: The central motif (dims. 30cm WNW-ESE; 29cm ENE-WSW) comprises of a cupmark (diam. 5cm; D 8mm) enclosed by two roughly penannular rings and a long radial groove (L 0.70m; Wth 2.5cm; D 4mm) extends to NE from the outer penannular ring. The second ‘keyhole’ motif (dims. 35cm NW-SE; 32cm NE-SW) is located c. 10cm to N and consists of a cupmark (diam. 6cm; D 8mm) which is enclosed by two penannular ring grooves (Wth 2cm; D 3mm).
Compiled by: Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly
Date of upload: 3 March 2017
References
Finlay, F. 1973 The rock art of Cork and Kerry. Unpublished MA thesis, University College, Cork.
Nearby in the register
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.