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). It appears to be uncertain as to where exactly this stone was first discovered but all of the stones were found close to the site in the townland of Ballintaggartand barony of Corkaguiney. First mentioned by Vallancey in 1804 (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: KE053-033009-
Object type: Pulvinar pillar
Material: Sandstone
Dimensions: H 1.27 × W 0.33 × D 0.25 m
Condition: Quite worn at the top of the stone.
Inscription
Text field: Up-top-down
Letters: Pocked in evenly-spaced strokes but vowel strokes shorter than in other inscriptions from this site. ‘Inscription pocked (up-top-down) and has to be studied carefully, especially at the top of the stone; but the reading is certain’ (Macalister 1945, 154). Cuppage et al (1986, 264) noted that ‘the third word (presumably MAQI) can no longer be clearly traced but the reading is confirmed by Romilly Allen (1892, 260), and Macalister (1945, 154). Faint traces of scores (MAQI) on the top of the stone can be made out using raking light on the 3d model’.
Edition
Transcription: ṂẠQI-DECC[E]DẠ ṂQ̣Ị GLASICONAS
Translation
of Mac-Deichet son of Glaisiuc
Commentary
This is one of the inscriptions listed by McManus (1991, 94-95) in which apocope (loss of final consonants or syllables) begins to show itself (MAQI-DECCEDA (earlier -AS), cp. CIIC 66. Faunkill and the Woods, Cork: MAQI-DECCEDDAS). It may be dated to the first half of the sixth century (McManus 1991, 97).
The persosnal name GLASICONAS is a compound of GLAS- ‘light green, grey’ and -CUNAS ‘dog, hound, wolf’ (McManus 1991, 102, 105).
References
- Bennett, Uí Shíthigh, Holden, and Ó Bric 1995, 18
- Cuppage 1986, 264-265
- Devane 2001, 369-372
- Macalister 1945, 151, 154
- McManus 1991, 65, 94-5, 97, 102-3, 105, 126