Cursing stone

The National Monuments Service's description

According to Wood-Martin (1892, 363-4), the 'Summaghan stones' comprised seven stones that were used for the purpose of cursing and together with a similar set of stones at Barroe (SL021-096----) in Lavally townland were the 'special heritage of the Summaghan family'. The ceremony performed at the stones 'appears to have closely resembled that observed on Inismurray' and in addition required the postulant to be 'barefooted and bareheaded' (ibid.). Wood-Martin also recorded the tradition that the stones were once cast into the neighbouring lake [Castle Lough?], yet were found next morning in their accustomed place and that one mode of averting the curse was for the person against whom 'the stones were turned' to have a grave dug, to lie in it and have three shovelfuls of earth cast over him while the gravediggers recited certain rhymes (ibid.). The stones were already removed in Wood-Martin's time and now only a small circular cairn of stones (diam. 4m; H 1m), probably a field-clearance cairn, and a linear bank of earth and stones (8m N-S; 4m E-W) 2m to E are evident at the site. A circular enclosure (SL027-029002-) lies downslope to NE.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Sligo' compiled by Ursula Egan, Elizabeth Byrne, Mary Sleeman with Sheila Ronan and Connie Murphy (Dublin Stationery Office, 2005).

Date of upload: 18 January 2008