Provenance
Discovery: At the site of two previously known ogham stones (I-COR-005 and I-COR-006), a souterrain (SMR ID: CO052-061001-) containing two further ogham stones was (re-)discovered when the ground collapsed during silage cutting in 2005 (McCarthy 2005). This ogham stone is one of four pillars (NE upright) supporting the roof. The SW pillar stone also bears an ogham inscription (I-COR-008).
Findspot: Ballynabortagh (Baile na bPórtach), Co. Cork, Ireland (ITM Coordinates: 570210, 583188)
Last recorded location(s): In situ in souterrain. Visited and 3d recorded for the OG(H)AM project in September 2022.
Support
National Monuments Service SMR ID: CO052-061002-
Object type: Pillar
Material: Sandstone
Dimensions: H 1.40 × W 0.50 × D 0.26 m
Condition: This pillar (subrectangular in section narrowing towards the top), along with I-COR-008, has been repurposed as an upright in a souterrain (SMR ID: CO052-061001-). The inscription, particularly the vowel notches, are quite worn, though still legible. The end of the inscription is lost, probably due to a break at the top of the stone. It is also noteworthy that this stone has numerous v-sectioned groove marks on the side to the right of the inscription. There is also an area (beside and to the right of the first few characters of the inscription) that is rubbed or polished smooth. This is very similar to the ‘scoring’ and ‘smoothing’ found on other (both inscribed and uninscribed) stones, for example Greenhill 1 (I-COR-003) and Ratass ogham stone, Co. Kerry (I-KER-139).
Inscription
Text field: The inscription reads up on the outward facing angle of the stone. It is not possible to examine the entire pillar due to its position in the souterrain.
Letters: The ogham strokes appear to have been pocked and average 1cm in width by 4-6cm in length.
Edition
Ogham text: ᚋᚐᚊᚔᚈᚏᚓᚅᚔ <ᚐ>ᚃᚔ ᚈ̣[---
Transcription: MAQITRENI VI Ṭ[---]
Critical apparatus:
- Only three strokes from the aicme húatha are visible at the top of the stone, probably representing an initial T, but this could alternatively be the remains of a C or Q.
Translation
of Mac-Thréuin grandson/descendant of T[…]
Commentary
The name MAQI-TRENI is attested elsewhere in the ogham corpus (probably in I-COR-035 Ballyknock 5, and in Wales: W-BRE-006 Llywell and W-PEM-004 Cillgerran) and the word TREN- (Old Irish trén ‘strong’) is also found in other names, for example NETTA-TTRENALUGOS (I-COR-071) from Montaggart, Co. Cork and TRENAGUSU (W-PEM-004) from Cilgerran in Pembrokeshire. As noted by Moore (Ronan 2009, 152), the single-element name Trén ‘occurs in the Eôganacht, UÍ Liathǽin and Corco Loígde genealogies of Munster and it is interesting to speculate that the ogham evidence may indicate a link between Wales and Cork in the 5th-6th centuries’ AD.
References
- Ronan, Egan, and Byrne 2009, 151-152, no. 16162
- McCarthy 2005,