What is recorded here

Ballyboy still holds a medieval stone head with sunken eyes, a flat nose and a tongue protruding from its mouth. It stands on the south wall of a water mill outside the village, perhaps carried from the nearby castle or the local church. Its grooved cheeks and incised ears mark it as a familiar Irish sculptural form, while its flat top suggests it once served as a corbel before becoming a landmark.

Located on the S facing wall of a water mill outside Ballyboy village. This stone head appears to be of medieval date and may come from the nearby castle (OF031-015001-) the site of which is located across the road, or ti may have come from the medieval church in Ballyboy. The head has sunken eyes with a flat nose and what appears to be his tongue protruding from his mouth. His cheeks are grooved which may indicate a beard or facial hair. The head has two ears incised into the stone. The grooving found on the heads cheeks is similar to other medieval heads found in Ireland. The top of the head is flat which may suggest it was used as a corbel. (Weir 1980, 63) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 23 May 2011

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