Bullaun stone in Lorrha

Situated at Lorrha Roman Catholic church at the SW end of the village adjacent to the Dominican Friary (TN004-010001-). One bullaun is located at the SE corner of the E gable of the church and a second bullaun stone (TN004-010004-) is located at the NE corner of the church. It is a roughly subcircular block of conglomerate stone (dims. 0.83m x 0.63m x 0.5m) which has an off-centre sub-oval depression (dims. 0.3m x 0.27m x 0.17m D). One side of the bullaun has a split face resulting in a very straight edge. The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary. Vol. 1 - North Tipperary' compiled by Jean Farrelly and Caimin O'Brien (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 22 September 2008

Likely dating to the early medieval period, bullaun stones were traditionally used for ritual purposes, often associated with Christian or pre-Christian practices, and may have been used for anointing or as holy wells. Local folklore sometimes links them to saintly figures or healing traditions.