Rock art

The National Monuments Service's description

This monument was initially identified as rock art by Aoibheann Lambe in 2014.  In mountain heath and blanket bog, on a gentle NE-facing slope (180m OD), overlooking Behy River valley to NE; overlooked by mountains SE->W->NE. Bog trackway is c. 4m to W and a disused turf bank is c. 5m to E. A slightly rough and fractured sandstone rock (dims. dims. 2.60m NW-SE; 0.50m NE-SW; H 0.20m at SW; H 1.50m at NE), overhanging a small stream and which has a rectangular decorated surface (dims. 1.50m NW-SE; 0.50m NE-SW) with a SW-facing aspect. Only part of the rock surface is exposed across northern portion and sod covers remainder to S. Very weathered yet traceable rock art consisting of a cup-and-one ring motif (diam. 16cm) located centrally and having a cupmark (diam. 4cm; D 4mm) and ring (Wth 2cm; D 2-3mm) comprised of pickmarks. A roughly square cupmark (dims. 5cm NW-SE; 4cm NE-SW; D 4mm) is c. 70m to W. A line of pickmarks (long-axis NE-SW; L 47cm; Wth 1-1.5cm; D 3-4mm), c. 20cm to SE of the cup-and-ring motif, disappears under the peat at SW. A cluster of pickmarks (overall dims. 8cm NW-SE; 7cm NE-SW) is c. 25cm to SE and is enhanced by black moss within each individual pickmarks.

Compiled by: Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly

Date of upload: 3 March 2017