Penitential station

The National Monuments Service's description

In the W half of Annagh graveyard (SL046-026001-) and within the SW quadrant of a small subrectangular enclosure (11.8m E-W; 13m N-S). Named 'Altar' on the 1838 and 1914 OS 6-inch maps. It consists of a drystone-built rectangular platform (1.25m N-S; 1.4m E-W; H 0.4m at N side; 0.68m at S side) composed of roughly coursed horizontally laid limestone and sandstone slabs. It is built up on the S side to compensate for the sloping ground. Its upper surface is covered with a loose jumble of stones, mostly irregular but including several water-rolled cobbles which are known locally as 'praying stones' (SL046-026004-). A possible bullaun stone (SL046-026005-) was traditionally kept here. There is also a wedge-shaped sandstone slab (L 0.85m; Wth 0.28-0.47m; T 0.09m) incorporated into the upper surface of the platform at the SE corner and a sandstone slab (L 1m; Wth 0.3m; T 0.13m) lies prostrate on the ground 1m to N. The 'altar' is similar to that known as 'The Big Station' on Inishmurray island, county Sligo (see Harbison 1991, fig. 37). It is now surrounded by a post and barbed wire fence.

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