Standing stone

The National Monuments Service's description

In an area of undulating pasture, prominently sited on a limestone knoll, which provides excellent views in all directions, with the long spine of the Ox Mountains defining the skyline at E−S, and the summit of Nephin Mountain rising in the distance to WSW. A small lake, named Lough Lauravally on the OS 6-inch maps, now largely dried up, is located 100m to NW. The knoll was sporadically quarried for limestone in the past, and there is a ruined, circular stone-built limekiln (diam. 2m) 5m to SW of the standing stone.
This standing stone is a National Monument (No. 293) in state ownership. It is not indicated on the 1838 OS 6-inch map, but is marked as ‘Standing Stone’ on the 1922 edition. It was traditionally known as 'Legaun’ or ‘Legawn' (OPW topographical files).
It is an upright, relatively narrow, roughly rectangular-shaped granite slab (H 3.1m; max Wth 0.68m, 0.65m at base; T 0.28m), with its long axis aligned NE−SW. It has a rectangular cross-section, a fairly uniform thickness, but expands slightly in width midway up its height. At c. 0.5m below the top, there is an abrupt, almost right-angled, narrowing of the stone to a width of 0.3m, producing a distinct ‘shoulder’ on the SW side. The combined effect of the ‘shoulder’ and the impressive height gives the stone a resemblance to an imposing human figure, when viewed from certain angles.
The stone now leans to the NW, and disturbance in the past to the ground immediately surrounding the stone has left it standing on a low stony pedestal. The surface of the stone is covered by a coating of lichens.

Attached images:
MA040-014----_01.JPG viewed from S
MA040-014----_02.JPG NE face
MA040-014----_03.JPG viewed from NW
MA040-014----_04.JPG viewed from NE, with outline of limekiln in centre, Nephin in background
MA040-014----_05.JPG Viewed from SW, Ox Mountains in background

Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 18 October 2018