Bullaun stone in Tyredagh Upper

On a gentle ESE-facing slope, in rough pasture, c. 14m to NE of a tertiary road. Not depicted on any OS historic mapping. Noted by Westropp (1917, 11) and identified and photographed on www.megalithomania.com in 2003 (http://www.megalithomania.com/show/site/866/tyredagh_lower_bullaun_stone.htm, accessed 27 November 2018). A weathered bullaun stone (1m N-S; 0.82m E-W; H 0.51m) pear-shaped in plan. A very well-formed, roughly circular basin (0.36m N-S; 0.4m E-W; D 0.17m) occupies the S half of the stone. A much shallower but very smooth depression (0.32m N-S; 0.35m E-W; D 3cm) is c. 5cm to N. The stone is covered in lichens across the upper surface and mosses around the edge, where there are some rough solution marks and hairline fissures. The following images have been uploaded: CL027-041----_01.jpg View of bullaun stone from W. CL027-041----_02.jpg From W. General view of bullaun in landscape context. CL027-041----_03.jpg Vertical view of bullaun stone. CL027-041----_04.jpg General view of bullaun stone from N. Compiled by: Mary Tunney Date of upload: 27 November 2018

Likely dating to the Early Christian or earlier prehistoric period, bullaun stones were often used for ritual purposes, such as the preparation of holy water or as sites of pilgrimage. They are associated with local folklore and may have been linked to early Christian saints or pre-Christian traditions.