What is recorded here

An unusual cross-marked stone stands east of the ruined Ballywiheen Church, bearing two parallel grooves and one diagonal link instead of a familiar sacred shape. It is a small marker, not a grand monument, yet it still points to the buried lives and prayers that filled the graveyard below Croagh Marhin. The chamber has gone quiet, but the stone remains upright, holding the memory of a place where people once gathered to mark loss, celebrate faith and belong to the land.

Ballywiheen Church/Teampall Bhaile Bhoithín: The remains of a simple rectangular church (KE042-103001-) are situated in a graveyard (KE042-103002-) near the foot of the E slopes of Croagh Marhin. Cross-inscribed Stones (KE042-103004-/011-): (8) An upright slab located to E of the church. It is 0.25m high and 0.55m wide. Its W face is decorated with an unusual design consisting of 2 parallel grooves running up the face and across the upper surface of the stone; a diagonal groove links the lower end of the N groove to the centre of the S groove. See attached photograph courtesy of Laurence Dunne See attached line drawing of cross-slab taken from Cuppage 1986 The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 981. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 11 July 2022

This cross-inscribed stone likely dates to the early medieval period, associated with Christian worship or burial practices. Such stones often served as markers for holy sites or memorials, reflecting the spread of Christianity in rural Ireland.

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