What is recorded here

Rock art in Derreeny is a sandstone slab in County Kerry, Ireland, marked with thirteen cupmarks and five cup-and-ring figures. The stone sits in upland pasture, overlooking the Kealduff River valley, and its decorated surface faces south. Someone cut those marks into the rock long before written records, perhaps mapping water, sky or memory. Furze and sod still cling to its edges, hiding what the hand may have shown.

In upland heath pasture, on a S-facing slope (172m OD), overlooking Kealduff River valley to S and Ballaghbeama Gap to NW. Incorporated into E-side of field boundary (long axis NW-SE), a smooth and fractured, substantial sandstone rock outcrop (dims. c. 2.6m N-S; 3.4m E-W; max. H 0.5m) which has a sub-rectangular decorated surface (dims. 1m N-S; 2.2m E-W) with a S-facing aspect. The decorated surface is to the N-side of a natural fracture (long-axis E-W) and consists of thirteen cupmarks (diam. c. 4-5cm; D 5-7mm) of varying sizes; five cup-and-one ring (diam. 13-15cm) with cupmark (diam. 6-8cm; D 5-6mm) and ring (Wth 1.5cm; D 4mm) one of which may have a partial second ring. There is a cluster of three cupmarks enclosed by a partial ring NE->S->NW, which is completed by pickmarks NW->N->NE. There is a linear groove (L 0.88m N-S; Wth 3cm) defined by pickmarks, off-centre to W, which has a cupmark (diam. 4cm) at the N-end. An L-shaped linear groove also defined by pickmarks is adjacent to W. Finlay (1973) recorded seventeen cupmarks and one cup-and-three ring, however only thirteen cupmarks were visible and the cup-and-three ring was not seen. There is a heavy sod cover on SW-side and furze bushes to SE-side of stone which may cover potential rock art motifs. (O'Sullivan and Sheehan 1996, 87, no. 285; Finlay 1973). Compiled by: Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly Date of upload: 8 March 2017

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