Provenance
Discovery: Site of church and old burial gound (An Cheallúnach or An Lisín). ‘This circular enclosure crowns the summit of a low, but prominent, hillock between Dingle Harbour and Trabeg. The site of a church is shown within the enclosure on the OS maps, but nothing more is known about this, and no visible trace survives. Children were still being interred there in the burial ground in the mid-19th century’ (Cuppage et al 1986, 264). The current stone enclosure, approximately 30m in diameter, is ‘only a portion of the original site and was built up by a landlord sometime prior to 1847’ (Devane 2001, 372). Macalister (1945, 151-7) recorded nine ogham stones collected together at the site. These ‘mostly pulvinar’ or oval water-rolled boulders resemble the stones found ‘about 6 miles away’ at Minard storm beach. Eight of the nine stones are now arranged in a circle within the stone enclosure with the ninth placed centrally. Apart from the ogham stones, the interior consists of ‘a confusion of low mounds and low upright grave markers’ (Cuppage et al 1986, 264). A tenth ogham stone was discovered in the 1980’s but only protrudes 24cm above the ground (Devane 2001, 369). This stone came from a field on the South side of the site (Cuppage et al 1986, 264) in the townland of Ballintaggart and barony of Corkaguiney. First mentioned in 1804 by Vallancey (Macalister 1945, 151).
Findspot: Ballintaggart (Baile an tSagairt), Co. Kerry, Ireland (ITM coordinates (approximate): 446414, 599691)
Last recorded location(s): in situ (inside modern enclosure)
Support
National Monuments Service SMR ID: KE053-033006-
Object type: Cross-carved pulvinar pillar
Material: Sandstone
Dimensions: H 1.07 × W 0.33 × D 0.13 m
Inscription
Text field: An equal-armed cross with a possible expanded terminal on the left arm.
Letters: Pocked and rubbed in long, even but tightly-spaced strokes. Quite worn towards the end of the inscription. Use of the X-forfid.
Edition
Transcription: MAQQI-IARI KOỊ MAQQI MUCCOI DOVVINIAS
Translation
of Mac-Iair here son of the descendant of Duibne
Commentary
This is one of the inscriptions listed by McManus (1991, 93-94) to be among the earliest in the corpus showing no trace of vowel affection. It may be dated to the first half, or the early second half, of the fifth century (McManus 1991, 97).
All but one of the inscriptions containing the tribal name DOVINIAS (‘of Duibne’) have been found on the Dingle peninsula, barony of Corkaguiney (Corcu Duibne), which got its name from that tribe or sept (McManus 1991, 111).
References
- Bennett, Uí Shíthigh, Holden, and Ó Bric 1995, 18
- Cuppage 1986, 264-266
- Devane 2001, 369-372
- Macalister 1945, 152-153
- McManus 1991, 65, 93-4, 97, 109, 111