Bullaun stone in Guernal

Situated on the floodplains of the Little river in undulating countryside with graveyard (OF022-021----) to the E and holy well (OF022-022----) to the S. Only the grass covered wall footings of a small church survive (OF022-020001-) with evidence of large limestone boulders used in the wall construction. Unable to locate any traces of a bullaun stone in the vicinity of the church that was shown to the SMR office fieldworkers by a local landowner in 1988. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 23 May 2011

A bullaun stone, likely dating to the early medieval period, often associated with Christian or pre-Christian ritual use, possibly for anointing or as a holy site linked to the nearby holy well and church remains. Such stones were sometimes believed to have healing properties in local folklore.