Cross-inscribed stone

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated at the crest of an E-facing slope on a slight N-S ridge, Power (1952, 215) considered this to be the site of an early church of which practically all trace had disappeared. The visible remains consist of a sub-circular scrub-covered area (diam. 27m) (WA027-003002-) defined by the remnants of a stone wall (Wth 1.8m) generally reduced to a scarp (H c. 0.6m). This enclosure (WA027-003002-) is traditionally considered to be a burial ground (WA027-003003-), and there is one grave-marker in the interior which is raised and stony. It corresponds with the SE quadrant of a much larger sub-circular tri-vallate monument (WA027-003010-) which was revealed as a result of geophysical survey undertaken in 2007 (Bonsall and Gimson 2007). The survey also indicated the existence of a possible annex to the S.
This pillar stone (dims. 0.55m x 0.35m; H 0.85m) is incised with a plain equal-armed cross and stands on the perimeter of the enclosure. The monument was investigated by M.J. Bowman in 1940 who revealed that the ‘graveyard’ component was in the SE quadrant of the original enclosure. Geophysical survey undertaken in 2007 (Bonsall and Gimson 2007) demonstrated that the monument was a trivallate enclosure with an internal diameter of 95m. A reassessment of Bowman’s excavations (Curtin 2015) indicates a multiphase site. The pottery recovered (B ware and E ware) suggests occupation in the medieval period and the presence of Leinster cooking ware is indicative of occupation in the 13th-14th centuries. Evidence of iron working indicates that the site was used during the late medieval or early modern period and a final period of use of the site was as a burial ground (ibid., 86). Apart from the possible burial marker evidence for burial consisted of two empty stone-lined graves, three cists and pits containing human remains (Curtin 2015, 1). (Power 1941; 1952, 215; Moore 1999, 165-6; Bonsall and Gimson 2007; Curtin 2015)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Updated by: Paul Walsh

Revised date of upload: 21 December 2015

References

Moore, M. 1999 Archaeological inventory of county Waterford. Dublin. Stationery Office.

Power, Rev. P. 1938c Cross-inscribed pillar-stone, Ballygarran, near Waterford. Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society 43, 124.

Curtin, J. 2015 A reassessment of Michael J. Bowman's excavation of Killeenagh Burial Ground, Ballygarran, Co. Waterford, 1940. M.A. Thesis, University College Cork. National Monuments Service Archive.