Provenance
Discovery: Discovered in 1790 by Henry Pelham. ‘Sometime before 1804 it was broken into two pieces, and part of the back of the stone was flaked away, as the result of kindling a fire against it. When Brash saw it in 1868, it was still on or near its original site’, where the pieces served various purposes around the farm prior to their removal to Burnham House (Macalister 1945, 142).
Findspot: Ballineesteenig (Baile an Ístínigh ), Co. Kerry, Ireland (ITM coordinates: 449092, 600990)
Last recorded location(s): In the late 19th century this stone was moved by Lord Ventry to the grounds of Burnham House, now Coláiste Íde (Dingle Peninsula). This stone was recorded for the Ogham in 3D project in 2017 by Kathleen Reen, a participant on the Corca Dhuibhne 3D project
Support
National Monuments Service SMR ID: KE043-248----
Object type: Cross-carved pulvinar pillar
Material: Sandstone
Dimensions: H 1.93 × W 0.33 × D 0.36 m
Condition: The stone is broken in two and partially flaked away on one side (Macalister 1945, 142-143).
Inscription
Text field: Small plain cross on the back of the stone.
Letters: Pocked in large, evenly-spaced strokes.
Edition
Transcription: MOINENA MAQI OLACON
Critical apparatus:
- ‘The fracture crosses E3, in consequence of which this letter has previously been read U’ (Macalister 1945, 143). There is no trace of a final -A in the father’s name.
Translation
Of M son of Olchú
Commentary
This is one of the inscriptions listed by McManus (1991, 94) in which apocope (loss of final consonants or syllables) begins to show itself (MOINENA (earlier -AS), OLACON (earlier -AS)). This suggests that it may be dated to the first half of the sixth century (McManus 1991, 97).
The persosnal name OLACON(AS) is a compound of OL-, possibly OIr. oll ‘great, ample’ (ogham L can represent L or LL), and -CONAS ‘dog, hound, wolf’ (McManus 1991, 102, 177 (n.7))
References
- Bennett, Uí Shíthigh, Holden, and Ó Bric 1995, 7-8
- Cuppage 1986, 250
- Macalister 1945, 142-144
- McManus 1991, 94, 97, 102, 116, 121, 177