What is recorded here

Cow Stone marks a roadside in County Kerry where a thief allegedly lost a foot and a cow lost a hoof when a holy man stopped the theft. One stone still stands eighty-one centimetres high beside the boundary fence while its partner has sunk from sight. The graveyard lies nearby, but the stones belong to the road and the remembered struggle rather than the dead. They turn an ordinary country lane into a place where greed met sudden divine resistance.

Cow and Thief's Stone (KE042-027----) described by Cuppage (1986, 323, no. 855) as follows; 'These are 2 stones set on either side of the roadway about 150m S of the graveyard [KE042-026017-]. The E stone stands 0.81m high at the base of the road boundary fence but the W stone is now buried. Legend tells of a thief who attempted to steal a cow but was prevented from doing so by a holy man who caused the thief's foot to stick in one stone and the cow's hoof to become embedded in the other (Curran no.8). It is not clear what the original purpose of these stones was or what, if any, was their relationship to the ecclesiastical site'.

Likely dating to the early medieval or later period, the Cow and Thief's Stone may have functioned as a boundary marker or waystone, possibly linked to local folklore regarding livestock disputes or territorial claims. The name suggests a connection to agricultural life or community customs.

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