Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Rock art
Ballynakilly (iveragh By., Glanbehy Ed), County Kerry, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Ballynakilly (iveragh By., Glanbehy Ed)
- County
- Kerry
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not Indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not Indicated
- Coordinates
- 52.01086, -9.96217
- SMR number
- KE071-092----
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
This monument was initially identified as rock art by Aoibheann Lambe in 2015. In rough pasture field, scattered with rock outcrop and boulders, on a W-facing slope (174m OD); Roadside field boundary is c. 8m to E. Mountains NE->E->S and overlooking Behy River valley to N. A smooth and fractured, sandstone rock (dims. 4.20m NW-SE; 2.40m NE-SW; max. H 1.45m), which has a rectangular shaped decorated surface (dims. 1.40m NW-SE x 0.90m NE-SW) and an E-facing aspect. The rock art is readily visible and consists of a number of motifs. A cupmark (diam. 3.5cm; D 5mm) is located at NW of decorated surface and is connected to another cupmark (diam. 4.5cm, D 4mm) by a linear groove (L 8.5cm; Wth 1cm; D 3mm) to E. A linear groove (L 7cm ESE-WNW; Wth 1cm; D 3mm) connects the second cupmark to a sub-rectangular depression (L 13.5cm E-W; 8cm N-S). This motif is conjoined at SE to the outer ring of cup-and-three ring motif (diam. 16cm) having a cupmark (diam. 2cm; D 4mm) and ring (Wth 1cm; D 4mm). A second cup-and-three-ring motif (diam. 19cm) having a cupmark (diam. 1.5cm; D 3mm) and ring (Wth 1cm; D 3mm) is located to S. A third cup-and-three-ring motif (diam. 20cm) having a cupmark (diam. 1.5cm; D 3mm) and ring (Wth 1cm; D 4mm) is located c. 9cm to NE of the aforementioned sub-rectangular depression. An L-shaped depression overall wth 17cm WSW-ENE x 13cm NNW-SSE, groove wth 1cm, D 4mm, cup diam. 2cm, cup D 5mm) is located 17cm to SSE. A fourth cup-and-three-ring motif (diam. 20cm) having a cupmark (diam. 2.5cm; D 5mm) and ring (Wth 1cm; D 4mm) is located 23cm to S. A cup-and-penannular ring motif (diam. 15cm) having an oval cupmark (dims. 1.5cm; 2cm; D 4mm) and ring (Wth 1cm; D 3mm) is located 4cm to NE. A single, oval cupmark (dims. 3.5cm x 3cm; D 4mm) is located between these two motifs, to SE. A cluster of pickmarks is situated at SE area of decorated surface. Moss and sod cover a portion of the decorated surface to E and SE, which may mask other possible motifs. A linear groove (L 0.66m NE-SW; Wth 2cm; D 3-4mm) is located to SE and divides the smooth, decorated surface at NW from the rough, undecorated surface at SE. Rock art site (KE071-098----) is c. 26m to W.
Compiled by: Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly
Date of upload: 3 March 2017
Nearby in the register
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.