Stone circle

The National Monuments Service's description

National monument No. 247. Situated at the base of the W facing slope on the Hill of Knockderc/Knockderk with good views of the surrounding countryside. Depicted as a conjoined setting of stones forming two C-shaped areas open to E and annotated as 'Stone Circles' on the 25-inch OS map. In 1833 the presence of possible stone circles was recorded as following; 'Along the road leading from its Cross towards Kilmallock, other circles and Druidical works are obvious, under a hill called Knockderk, marked Q in the plan' (Croker 1833, 112). In 1913 Lynch recorded that 'the stone circles at the foot of Knockderk, described by Crofton Croker in his article on Lough Gur, are there still' (Lynch 1913, 19).
O'Kelly doubted the existence of these stone circles when he recorded the following about the monument on Knockderc Hill; 'There are four circles marked on the O.S. map on this hill. Three are on the W base and one on the top near the highest point. In fact, they do not exist and it is doubtful if they ever did exist. the site on top of the hill shows some ancient field fences and a rather doubtful circular enclosure, but there is no trace of a stone circle. The W base of the hill is strewn all over with large blocks of basaltic rock which have rolled down from higher up. If one selects suitable stone from among these and eliminates others, any number of circles can be formed. It must have been in this way that three circles came to be marked on the O.S. map' (O'Kelly 1944, 31).

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 25 May 2018

See attached ASI aerial photograph ASIAP - 303/28 and 29 taken 13/09/2002.

References

ASIAP - Archaeological Survey of Ireland Aerial Photographs (c. 1996 - c. 2010).

O'Kelly, M.J. 1944 A survey of the antiquities in the barony of Small County, Co. Limerick. North Munster Antiquarian Journal 4, 16-53.

Croker, T.C. 1833 Druidical remains near Lough Gur,
Co. Limerick. Gentleman's Magazine (February
1833), 105–12.

Lynch, J.F. 1913 Antiquarian remains at Lough Gur. Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society 19, 8-22.

Harbison, P. 1970 (Reprint 1992) Guide to the national monuments in the Republic of Ireland. Dublin. Gill and Macmillan.