Standing stone

The National Monuments Service's description

In undulating pasture, on the landscaped estate of Timoney Park. The 19th century private burial ground of the Hutchinson family of Timoney Park is located 100m to NNW. One of nine standing stones (TN018-012001-/009-) identified in this field and recorded in 1934-36 by the Inspector of National Monuments and marked as stone 8E on a map of a group of 221 standing stones, of which 173 stones were located in the townland of Timoney Hills and 48 standing stones in the adjoining townland of Cullaun. A map published in the Archaeological Survey of Ikerrin depicts 245 standing stones, 70 of which had been removed, and five cairns, which have also been removed (Stout 1984, 19). Seven of the nine orthostats in this field were located. Stones 8D (TN018-012004-) and 8G (TN018-012007-) could not be located in this field and were presumably removed or levelled after 1934-36. Present remains consist of a standing stone (H 1.05m x 0.6m x 0.3m) rectangular in section and orientated N-S on its long axis. National Monument No. 353.
This group of standing stones in the townlands of Timoney Hills and Cullaun were described in 1936 by the Inspector of National Monuments as following: 'Though a number of stones have been eliminated, the remainder numbering 221 (173 in Timoney Hills and 48 in Cullaun) are a most remarkable group. The stones are not, apparently, arranged on any particular system except for one obvious stone circle in Cullaun. They are all of red sandstone or conglomerate of the same period and stand or stood from 3 to 6 feet [0.9-1.8m] in height over the ground, the average height of the larger ones being about 5 feet 1.5m]' (SMR File).
The location of these stones on the Parker-Hutchinson estate of Timoney Park casts doubt on the antiquity of these monuments.

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 09 February 2015

References

Stout, G. 1984 The archaeological survey of the barony of Ikerrin. Roscrea Heritage Society.