Mass-rock in Shehy Beg

In rough heather-clad hill grazing, on the S-facing slopes of Shehy Beg. A stone slab (1.8m E-W; 1.5m N-S; H 0.8m), resting on a table-like area of outcropping rock, is known locally as a mass-rock. Two smaller slabs, which lean to the E, are situated to the E of the mass-rock and may be the remains of a small animal shelter. The mass-rock is c. 70m to the S of the old 'Butter Path', which runs along the lower slopes of Shehy Beg. The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 5' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2009). Date of upload: 22 December 2009

A mass-rock used clandestinely for Catholic worship during periods of religious persecution; such sites were often associated with local saints and served as focal points for community devotion. No specific saint or cure is recorded for this site, but it reflects the broader tradition of hidden places of faith in Ireland.