Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Standing stone
Rathlihen, County Offaly, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Rathlihen
- County
- Offaly
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- NULL
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 53.19480, -7.64458
- SMR number
- OF024-040002-
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 1790 "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
No evidence of any standing stone beside the holy well (OF024-040001-) (Shaw Rev. 1971, 71-2). Described by Rev. Shaw as 'At the entrance to the well is a standing stone with a hole in it, known as a 'swearing stone'. In ancient times, contracts were made binding by the two people concerned joining hands through the hole and thereby invoking a curse on themselves it they broke their word - a custom which is said to be of pagan origin. This stone came originally from Luganiska' (Shaw Rev. 1971, 72).
The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.
Date of upload: 23 May 2011
Nearby in the register
- Ritual site - holy wellunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - unclassifiedunder 1 mi
- Enclosureunder 1 mi
- Fulacht fiaunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.