Cloonbride, bullaun stone in County Kilkenny

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On a NE-facing hill slope, 170m NNE of an early medieval monastery attributed to St. Bridget, with a medieval church (KK027-044001-), round tower (KK027-044003-) and high cross (KK027-044004). This stone is indicated on the 1st and 2nd ed. OS 6-inch map and is called ‘Cloonbride’ which translates as Bridget’s knees. According to the OS Letters (1839), 'St. Bridget is said to have left the impressions of her two knees and hands while praying; but the impressions in this stone are certainly the work of nature' (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 2, 62). It consists of a small occurrence of limestone outcrop (max. dims. 1.77m x 1.2m) with natural solution holes none of which are bowl-like. They are mostly elongated or oval rather than circular, ranging in size from 0.08cm x 0.16m; D 0.08m to 18cm x 0.27m; D 0.1m. Though natural, the stone’s proximity to the early medieval monastery and the tradition of the solution holes being the imprint of St. Bridget’s hands and knees suggest it is associated with the monastery.

From the National Monuments Service (Archaeological Survey of Ireland) record KK027-043

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Photo credits

Andreas F. Borchert, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Harryreid, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Maker not stated on source page, www.dreamstime.com
Humphrey Bolton, Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0
Humphrey Bolton, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Maker not stated on source page, www.istockphoto.com
National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
Mike Searle, Geograph · Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0
Eirian Evans, Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0
Martin Richard Phelan, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Andy Ryan / 1803 Productions, credited by Kilkenny GAA, kilkennygaa.ie

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