Leacht

The National Monuments Service's description

The site remains unplanted in coniferous forest, on the top of a small rectangular hillock (dims. at top c. 70m x 40m; H c. 1.5-3m) with the ravine of the Araglin River immediately to the N (D c. 30m). It is called 'Sidh Mochuda' or 'St Mochuda's/St Carthage's Chair' (Anon. 1899, JRSAI, 262), and is traditionally thought to be the place where the saint died and was buried. Described by Power (1899, WAJ, 146-50) as a small, stone-walled enclosure or grave '6ft x 4ft' (c. 1.82m x 1.2m) with three large stones visible internally, one of which was an ogham stone (WA011-003001-). The 'grave' is visible as a rectangular area (int. dims. 2.5m NW-SE; 1.1m NE-SW) defined by the grass-covered foundations of a wall (Wth 0.4m), but most of the long walls are not present. An ogham stone, which was once upright at the site, is now at UCC. It has been read by Macalister (1945, vol. 1, 257) as ERCAGNI MAQI ERCIAS. According to Power (1899, 147) there was local information that two other stones, possibly ogham stones, were rolled down the hill into the stream to the W, that have not been identified since.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Waterford' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1999). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload/revision: 23 December 2008