Standing stone in Cooga

Situated in flat terrain on a valley floor in poorly drained pastureland. A collapsed standing stone (L 1.96m; dims. 0.56m x 0.45m) which lies partially embedded in the fosse of a ring-barrow (TN040-040001) in the W quadrant. There are deep linear scores on both exposed corners. The third corner, which is partially embedded, doesn't appear to have any markings. The lines do not conform to ogham script, however, in the nineteenth century there were incidences of standing stones being scored with false 'ogham script' to confound antiquarians (pers. comm. F. Moore). The stone was standing in recent memory according to local information. The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary. Vol. 1 - North Tipperary' compiled by Jean Farrelly and Caimin O'Brien (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 22 September 2008

Likely dating to the Neolithic or Early Bronze Age, the stone may have originally formed part of a funerary or ritual monument associated with the nearby ring-barrow. Its collapse and current position within the fosse suggest later disturbance, though its original use may have been ceremonial or commemorative.