What is recorded here

Two stones sit apart in Longueville tillage, the larger upright and the smaller flat, with a whitethorn tree between them. Local story holds that Mass was celebrated on the larger stone during penal times, while later tradition claims the rocks cured warts. The distance is so small that a person could have stood between them, listening to prayer or rubbing skin against cool stone.

In tillage. Bowman (1934, 20) recorded two stones about 3ft apart, one upright, the other flat, with a whitethorn tree growing between them; tradition that Mass was celebrated on the larger of the two during penal times. Site consists of two natural rock outcrops: largest (2.1m E-W; 1.4m N-S; H 0.95m) was c. 0.4m to N of smaller stone (1m N-S; 0.9m E-W; H 0.2m). Local tradition persists that stones cured warts. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 4: North Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2000). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009

Mass-rock in Longueville is associated with the celebration of Catholic Mass during the penal times in Ireland, when open practice of the Catholic faith was forbidden. The site features two stones and a whitethorn tree, reflecting the clandestine religious traditions and the resilience of local Catholic communities.

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