Provenance
Discovery: Found at the Early Christian and Medieval ecclesiastical complex at Cell Máel-Chétair / Kilmalkedar (KE042-026----, National Monument No. 65.). ‘Although reputedly founded by Máel-Chétair in the seventh century, the site is associated with St Brendan. The church was probably built in the mid twelfth century and remained important throughout the medieval period. Existing remains from the early Christian period include a corbelled building, perhaps a cell, some 50 m from the church… the sundial stone, the alphabet stone, a plain stone cross and some bullaun stones. There is also St Brendan’s oratory, situated some 400 m from the church. Existing buildings dating from medieval times include the Romanesque church with some fine architectural sculpture, St Brendan’s House and the Chancellor’s House. There are also two wells and a number of cross-inscribed stones in the graveyard’ (Okasha and Forsyth 2001, 171). Allen (1892, 265) noted that the ogham stone stood at that time (as it does now) at the north side of the cross in the graveyard. Allen (1892, 265-266) is the first published account of the ogham stone but he notes that Du Noyer sketched the inscription in 1856.
Findspot: Kilmalkedar (Cill Maoilchéadair), Co. Kerry, Ireland (ITM coordinates: 440220, 606235)
Last recorded location(s): In situ, on the N side of the pathway leading through the graveyard to the church. This stone was recorded in 3D in 2013 as part of the Ogham in 3D project in collaboration with the Discovery Programme.
Support
National Monuments Service SMR ID: KE042-026001-
Object type: Pillar
Material: Sandstone
Dimensions: H 1.78 × W 0.20 × D 0.24 m
Condition: A tall, narrow pillar (rhombus in section) with the inscription worn in places. ‘An hourglass-shaped perforation near the top of the stone measures .12m in depth and .07m in maximum diameter’ (Cuppage 1986, no. 855).
Inscription
Text field: The inscription, which is quite worn at the beginning, runs up the sinister angle and down the dexter. The remains of a presumably earlier ogham inscription is located lower down on a third angle (not accurate in Macalister’s (1945, 181) drawing).
Letters: Macalister describes the inscription as cut but it appears rather pocked. However, the vowels do appear wedge-shaped and cut. The final two Ns have extra space between them, which may be to avoid an uneven surface on the stone. The E is represented by the X-forfid.
Date: Late sixth or early seventh century (linguistic)
Edition
Ogham text: [ᚐ]ᚅ̣ᚋ ᚋ[ᚐ]ᚔ̣ᚂᚕ
Transcription: [A]ṆM M[A]ỊLEINBIR MACI BROCANN
Critical apparatus:
- The remains of ANM, or possibly M and Q of MAQI (reading down instead of up), survives alone on a third (damaged) angle and is presumably from an earlier text on the stone.
Translation
Name/inscription of Máel-Inbir son of Broccán
Commentary
The E of MAILE is represented by the first supplementary character (or X-forfid) with its vocalic value /e/, rather than its consonantal value /k/ or /x/, usually transliterated K. With this vocalic usage, ‘late linguistic features tend to be more frequent’. There is also ‘a correlation with this usage and that of the ANM formula, which is also symptomatic of late date’ (McManus 1991, 79; Swift 1997, 83-90). ANM is OIr. ainm ‘name’, used as technical term for ‘inscription’. Further late features (late sixth or early seventh century) of this ogham inscription are MACI, with an artifical -I reflecting ‘the tenacity of the orthographical convention of writing final I in this formula word’, and syncopated IN*BIR (McManus 1991, 80, 81, 90, 96).
References
- Allen 1892, 265-267
- Cuppage 1986, no.855
- Macalister 1945, 181
- McManus 1991, 79, 80, 81, 90, 96
- Okasha and Forsyth 2001, 171
- Swift 1997, 83-90