Provenance
Discovery: Discovered in the NW quadrant of a large rath or ringfort (CO055-007001-) at Castle farm (also site of Ballyknock castle CO055-007004-). According to Barry (1891, 529), this roofing flag was ‘separated from No. 12 by two uninscribed flags’ in the souterrain (CO055-007003-) where fourteen other ogham stones were also found (I-COR-031 - I-COR-045), all but one (I-COR-031) acting as lintels. A high percentage of ogham stones in Ireland are found reused in souterrains, particularly in Co. Cork but this is the highest number from a single souterrain.
Findspot: Ballyknock North (Baile an Chamhaicigh Thuaidh), Co. Cork, Ireland (ITM Coordinates: 594327, 586954)
Current repository: Ireland University College Cork (inv. no. 15)
Last recorded location(s): The stone is currently on permanent display in the Stone Corridor (‘Rúin na gCloch / Stories in Stone’ exhibition), University College Cork, where it was examined and photographed for the OG(H)AM project in May 2024.
Support
National Monuments Service SMR ID: CO055-007016-
Object type: Pillar
Material: Sandstone
Dimensions: H 1.12 × W 0.32 × D 0.15 m
Condition: Reused in a souterrain, the inscription is quite worn. Barry (1891, 529) noted that the stone was 1.12m (44in.) in height. All of the ogham stones in the UCC collection underwent conservation in 2006. The stones are currently in display cases and held in position by brackets. The current visible extent above the display case is 0.90m (3.5in.).
Inscription
Text field: The inscription is up on the dexter edge of one of the narrower faces (or sinister edge of the broader face to the left).
Letters: The inscription is scored in fine strokes. The spacing is quite irregular with wide spacing at the beginning of the inscription (unless something has worn away here), then tightening up until the R-strokes, which fan out on the B-aicme side.
Edition
Ogham text: ᚇ[.. ? ..
Transcription: D[.. ? ..]MM[.. ? ..] MACI [V]ẸDUC̣ERI
Critical apparatus:
- Macalister’s (1945, 92) reading: DOMMO MACI VEDUCERI
Commentary
McManus (1991, 18-19) noted the possibility that ‘the first word might be DEGO’, which is attested elsewhere as a name and corresponds to Old Irish daig, gen. dego ‘fire’. The two M strokes could be read together as a G but they are more widely spaced than would be expected if this were the case.
Regarding the father’s name (VEDUCERI, although the reading is quite uncertain), McManus (1991, 19; also Ziegler 1994, 243-244) says that it is ‘tempting to see the Old Irish name Fidchuire (lit. “wood-putter”) … but the expected spelling in that case would be Viducori’.
References
- Barry 1891, 514-535
- Macalister 1945, 91, no. 94
- Power and et al. 1994, no. 4227
- Ziegler 1994, 168; 243-244
- McManus 2004, 18-19, no. 15