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Gallán

Standing stone, pair

What is recorded here

Two stones, one fallen and one standing, mark a lost line on the eastern edge of the Martin River valley. They still point northeast and southwest across rough pasture, preserving the shape of whatever ceremony or boundary they once served.
On low knoll, in rough pasture, on E side of Martin River valley. SW stone is fallen; it measures 1m L, 0.5m T and, if erect, over 2m H. Second stone stands 2m to NE; it is 1.07m L, 0.5m T and 1.17m H. Stones appear to have been aligned NE-SW; estimated overall length is c. 4.2m. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 3: Mid Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009
Likely dating to the Bronze Age, the stones may have functioned as a boundary marker or ritual pair. Local tradition sometimes associates such stones with early Christian figures, though the name "Gallán" (meaning "stranger" or "foreigner") may hint at a later, medieval layer of folklore.

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What survives
Recorded monument

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