What is recorded here

An irregular boulder in Kilgarvan, County Kerry, holds two shallow bowls on its upper surface. Legend credits St Garvan and other saints with kneeling there to pray, while stagnant water in the hollows is said to cure warts. The stone was moved from a garden wall during road widening, yet it still faces the graveyard like a forgotten altar.

In Kilgarvan, at the N gable of a house, on the S side of the street opposite Kilgarvan graveyard (KE094-004003-). An irregular boulder (1.4m x 0.85m; H 1m) with two bowl-shaped hollows on its upper surface. The W hollow (diam. 0.25m; D 0.14m) is 0.2m from the E hollow (diam. 0.23m; D 0.14m). According to popular legend, the hollows in the bullaun stone were formed by St Garvan and other saints as they knelt to pray and stagnant water in the hollows is said to cure warts (Twomey 1997, 28). This bullaun stone was formerly in the corner of a garden wall, on the S side of the street in Kilgarvan but was moved to its present location due to road widening. Its original location is not known. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Kerry. Volume I: South-West Kerry' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2009). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 30 May 2011

Likely dating to the Neolithic or Bronze Age, the boulder may have had ritual or ceremonial significance, with the bowl-shaped hollows possibly used for offerings or symbolic purposes. Such features are often associated with early farming communities or later funerary practices in the region.

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.