What is recorded here

Thirty centimetres of stone stand beside the ruined church at Ballywiheen, small enough to hide beneath bracken yet tall enough to mark a grave beneath the eastern slope of Croagh Marhin. Its shallow Latin cross still points east, waiting for rain or memory to finish what chisels began. The mountain watches the marker the way a guardian watches a doorway, holding the shape of devotion long after the hands that made it disappeared.

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-): (3) A small grave-marker standing about 3m E of the SE corner of the church. It is 0.43m high and 0.31m wide at base. Its E face bears a simple Latin cross with T-bar terminals to the arms. 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

The cross-inscribed stone likely dates to the early medieval period, associated with Christian worship or burial practices. Such stones often served as grave markers, liturgical objects, or symbols of ecclesiastical authority within monastic or parish settlements.

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