Penitential station in Ballydonegan

In level pasture, beside the SE shore of Ballydonegan Bay and with distant views of Sceilg Mhichíl. A circular cairn (1.6m E-W; 1.55m N-S; H 0.45m) of stones which, according to local information, was formerly visited by pilgrims. There are several quartz stones on the cairn, which is partially overgrown with grass, and a large slab is exposed at NE. The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 5' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2009). Date of upload: 22 December 2009

pilgrims as a penitential station, likely associated with early Christian practices linked to the nearby monastic site of Sceilg Mhichíl. Such stations were often used for prayer, fasting, or acts of penance by those journeying to the island’s holy hermitages.