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Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland

Shrine

Ballinlena, County Mayo, Ireland

Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915) covering the location of Shrine, Ballinlena, County Mayo, with a pin at the register's coordinates
Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915), covering this location. Courtesy of the National Library of Scotland. The pin is ours, placed from the register's coordinates.

The record

Townland
Ballinlena
County
Mayo
Country
Ireland
First-edition OS map
Not indicated
Latest-edition OS map
Not indicated
Coordinates
54.27739, -9.21015
SMR number
MA008-006002-

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

4 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1790 map "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).

Historical maps covering this location

  • 1790 · Composite: Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1841 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1869 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1891 · Ireland 16 (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)

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This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗

The National Monuments Service's description

Located in the N half of a graveyard (MA008-0060007-), 15m N of a church (MA008-006001-).
This monument is traditionally known as the grave of St. Cummin, who is said to have founded a monastery here in the 7th century. It consists of a low, sod-covered stony mound (3.7m N–S; 2.5m E–W; H 0.55m at W). An upright, edge-set slab (L 1.12m N–S; H 0.4m; T 0.05m) borders the E side of the mound, and in line this, is a smaller upright slab, now leaning to E, which is located just beyond the S end of the mound. The W side of the mound is bordered by a N–S row of seven upright slabs, with long axes aligned to the axis of the mound. Amongst the seven uprights there are two tall pillar-like slabs and a cross-slab (MA008-006003-). One of the pillar-like slabs (H 1.85m; L 0.3m N–S; T 0.09m) marks the N end of the row, and is in line with the N end of the mound/grave. The cross-slab and two other low, close-set uprights intervene between this pillar and the second pillar (H 1.7m; L 0.2m N–S; T 0.14m) which is located toward the S end of the row, just beyond the S end of the mound. The row ends with two further low, upright slabs, which are located immediately S of the S pillar slab.
The two pillar stones are rectangular in cross-section with flat tops, and are well matched in size and shape. The low uprights are more variable in form, falling within the following size range: H 0.3-0.7m; W 0.15-0.3m.
According to local tradition, soil taken from the vicinity of the grave confers a blessing on whoever holds it. The mound is largely obscured by grass and clumps of brambles.

Attached image:
MA008-006002-_01.JPG Viewed from W

Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 15 July 2019

Nearby in the register

Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.

Sites and Monuments Record data: National Monuments Service, Government of Ireland, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Record text is reproduced unchanged. National Monuments Service, Government of Ireland · CC BY 4.0
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