Mass-rock in Ballytoohy More

Situated on the summit of a prominent E– W running ridge that decreases in height a series of steps from W to E. While southern flanks of the ridge are of modest proportions, its northern sides are almost vertical in places. The site affords wide views along the eastern coastlands of the island, including clear views of a number of stretches of the Lighthouse Road near Maum and close to the Lighthouse itself. According to Michael Joe O’Malley (RIP) an outcrop of rock on the ridge summit is known as ‘the mass rock’ (Ciara Cullen, pers. comm.). When viewed from S, this outcrop has a table-like appearance, but when viewed from N it blends into the ridge slope that drops away steeply. It is flanked on S by a small but noticeably flat, grassy area. The outcrop itself measures c. 6m on its long axis, which runs E–W and is c. 1.3m wide and c. 1.1m high. Although no traces of any carvings are present, the surface of the outcrop is pitted with erosion lines, some of which do meet at right angles to produce natural cross-like patterns. The above description is derived from: New Survey of Clare Island. Volume 5: Archaeology. Edited by Paul Gosling, Conleth Manning and John Waddell. (Royal Irish Academy, Dublin. 2007). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated. Date of upload: 4 December 2018

A mass-rock associated with the celebration of Catholic Mass during the Penal Times, when open practice of the faith was forbidden; such sites were often linked to local saints or itinerant priests and served as places of worship and community gathering.