Inscribed stone in Balla

In Balla village, located within a building (MA090-024003-), known as the 'Rest House', adjacent to a holy well (MA090-024001-). The OS Letters (1838) record that this stone was originally set in a stone wall that enclosed the holy well (MA090-024001-), which lies immediately to W. During restoration works in 2016 it was set in the internal face of the NW gable of the building. It consists of a rectangular stone slab (0.54m by 0.47m) with a Latin inscription, now very weathered, carved on one face. The inscription includes a short prayer to the Mother of God, and records that the parish priest of Balla had it put in place on 25th March 1696 (Rynne 1998, 182). Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 25 June 2018

Likely dating to the early medieval period, the inscribed stone may have had a ritual or commemorative function, possibly linked to the nearby holy well. Local tradition may have incorporated it into Christian practices over time, though its original prehistoric meaning remains unclear.