What is recorded here

Bullaun stones are associated with Saint Finbarr and prayer. In Kilmichael the stone disappeared from its place beside the church, perhaps carried away when belief shifted or curiosity grew. What remains is a hollow ghost, a small absence in the field where worship once pressed into rock.

About 50m SW of Kilmichael church (CO126-009002-) lies a stone (H 0.16m; 0.58m x 0.4m) with shallow hollow (D 0.05m) on upper surface. The stone was moved elsewhere as Durell (1996, 214) failed to find it. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 1: West Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1992). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of revision: 11 October 2017

Likely dating to the early Christian period, bullaun stones were often used for ritual purposes, such as anointing or as holy water basins, and are associated with local saints or pilgrimage traditions. This example may have been linked to the nearby church or a now-lost ecclesiastical site on Dursey Island.

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