What is recorded here

Bullaun stones are associated with Celtic monks who knelt in prayer until they wore hollows in the rock. This one sits fifteen metres from the Kilmeedy burial ground, its shallow circle no deeper than a man’s knee but wide enough to hold water after rain. The holy well nearby suggests the site remained active long after any single monk forgot his own name.

Located c. 15m to SE of Kilmeedy burial ground (9347); holy well (9283) c. 50m to N on outer perimeter of burial ground. Large boulder (H 0.48m; 1.35m x 1.18m) with circular hollow (diam. 0.48m) near one edge of flat top. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 3: Mid Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009

Probably dating to the early Christian or later prehistoric period, the Bullaun stone was likely used for ritual purposes, such as the preparation of holy water or as a site for religious observance, associated with the nearby burial ground and holy well. In folklore, such stones are often linked to saintly figures or healing traditions.

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