Provenance
Discovery: Originally found by P. McDonnell buried in a peat-bog in the townland of Reask (An Riasc). It was found along with a quernstone, a quantity of burned wood, a metal pot and a portion of basket work. Discovered lying 1.8 to 2.1m below the surface and 1.2m above the base of the peat section (Cuppage 1986, 256). Re-discovered by Hitchcock (1848, 272) re-used as cabin door lintel in McDonnell’s house in the bordering townland of Ballineanig. It was transported to Dublin in 1848 to be presented to the Royal Irish Academy (Macalister 1945, 142).
Findspot: Reask (An Riasc ), Co. Kerry, Ireland (Very approximate)
Current repository: Ireland National Museum of Ireland (inv. no. 2198:W5)
Last recorded location(s): Now in the collection of the National Museum of Ireland. This stone was 3D scanned in 2010 as part of the Ogham in 3D project in collaboration with the Irish Inscribed Stones Project.
Support
National Monuments Service SMR ID: KE042-151----
Object type: Cross-carved pillar
Material: Sandstone
Dimensions: H 1.17 × W 0.20 × D 0.12 m
Decoration: There is a small cross low down on the face opposite inscription.
Condition: Some letters are missing where the stone is broken at top. Some strokes are also quite damaged, particularly along the first angle.
Inscription
Text field: The inscription is up on both angles.
Letters: The inscription is pocked in bold, quite uneven strokes. The vowels are wedge-shaped.
Edition
Ogham text: ᚂ[ᚒ]ᚌᚒᚊᚏᚔᚈ ᚋᚐ[ᚊᚔ] ᚊᚏᚔᚈᚈᚔ̣
Transcription: L[U]GUQRIT MA[QI] QRITTỊ
Critical apparatus:
- Although the RIT at the end of the first name are partially damaged, these letters are not really in doubt. 2. Only a single vowel notch remains at the end of the father’s name where the top of the stone is broken. It is more likely that this is the remains of an -I (5 strokes) than an A (1 stroke).
Translation
of Luccreth son of Creth
Commentary
LUGUQRIT is a compound of the mythological/deity name Lug and probably the word creth ‘craftmanship, skilled work, poetical art’, which is later attested as Luccreth, Lucridh (AU 753) and Luccraid (CGH S. 676) (Ziegler 1994, 199, 223). This name is also found at Kilcaskan, Cork (I-COR-016: LUGUQRIT[TI MAQI ADDI]LONAS) and possibly also at Kilcoolaght East (I-KER-076: [.?.]ECC MAQI L[UGUQ]RRIT) and Kilgobnet (I-KER-083: LUGUQQRITTAS, if correct) in Co. Kerry.
McManus (1991, 113) notes this inscription as an example of the repetition of an element of the father’s name in the son’s, that is, QRIT(TI). This single-element name is possibly later attested later as Crithe (CGH S. 571, Ziegler 1994, 223) and is also found at Greenhill, Co. Cork (I-COR-003 TRENU MAQI MUCOI QRITTI) and Stradbally More, Co. Waterford (I-WAT-009: QRIT[—]I MAQ[I LO]BACONA AVI NEAGRACOLINEA).
References
- Bennett, Uí Shíthigh, Holden, and Ó Bric 1995, 10
- Cuppage 1986, 256
- Hitchcock 1848, 271-272
- Macalister 1945, 142
- McManus 1991, 65, 103, 111, 113, 121
- Ziegler 1994, 199, 223