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). First discovered in a field fence to the south of the calluragh (Cuppage et al 1986, 264) in the townland of Ballintaggart and 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: KE053-033011-
Object type: Cross-carved pulvinar pillar
Material: Sandstone
Dimensions: H 0.97 × W 0.33 × D 0.20 m
Inscription
Text field: An equal-armed cross on the face. A very worn ogham inscription on the dexter edge
Letters: Pocked with vowel strokes as long as consonant strokes (innaccurate in Macalister’s sketch)
Edition
Transcription: INISSIONAS
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).
References
- Bennett, Uí Shíthigh, Holden, and Ó Bric 1995, 18
- Cuppage 1986, 264-266
- Devane 2001, 369-372
- Macalister 1945, 151, 155
- McManus 1991, 65, 93-4, 97, 116