What is recorded here

Kilfountan in County Kerry holds a slender quartz pillar where an oratory corner collapsed, exposing an ogham edge and a circled cross on its spatulate face. The stone leans slightly inside the burial mound, as if it had been stood there by human hands and later surrendered to rain, root and time. Its markings preserve a name, a cross and a small vessel-like symbol, turning a broken church angle into a place where memory still has shape.

At Kilfountan Church and Calluragh burial ground/Teampall Fionntain. The ogham stone, which is also a cross-slab, is set loosely into the W side of a mound of quartz which merges with the collapse from the NE corner of the oratory. It is a slender pillar standing 1.5m high and measuring 0.25 to 0.09m in width and its decorated S face is peculiarly spatulate in shape. The NE angle of the stone forms the stem-line for an ogham inscription that reads: EQODD. According to Macalister (1945, 179-80, no. 186), the name ended with an I but there is now no trace of the relevant scores. The upper part of the S face is occupied by an equal-armed cross with expanded terminals which is enclosed within a circle. This is surmounted by a scrolled crest, joined to the top of the circle by a short stem. Beneath the cross, but not pendant from it, is an elaborate design which ends in a pelta motif. Directly below the circle, a wide curved band runs across the width of the face and a circular boss has been left in relief at each end of this. Pendant from each end are a curved line which runs to meet the edge of the stone and a 2nd line which develops into the pelta design. Another line, pendant from the centre of the band, extends for a short distance between the latter. Below the ornament is an inscription in half-uncial script which reads: (F)INTEN. To left of this, Macalister (1937, 221-7) deciphered the word SCI, preceded by a Chi-Rho. However, though there are vague traces of possible letters in this area, they do not form any recognisable pattern. (Cuppage 1986, no. 849) This stone has been studied as part of the ‘Ogham in 3D’ project undertaken by the School of Celtic Studies, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. To access details go to the following website: https://ogham.celt.dias.ie/search.php?ciic=186 Compiled by: Nora White Date of upload: 5 December 2016

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.