What is recorded here

Derreeny holds a smooth sandstone boulder marked with a cupmark, a cup-and-ring, and scattered pockmarks. The stones sit beside a disused roadway, facing the Ballaghbeama Gap and Kealduff River valley. They are small, faint and old enough to belong before written memory. A person may have knelt there, cut the marks and watched the valley change with weather.

Located on the S side of the disused roadway, and commanding a view of Ballaghbeama Gap to NW, this boulder has a gently sloping upper surface which measures .97m x .74m in maximum dimensions. The decorative motifs, centrally positioned, comprise a cupmark, a cup-and-ring and five small pockmarks (information: A. Purcell). The above description is derived from A. O'Sullivan and J. Sheehan (compilers), 'The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of South Kerry'. Cork University Press (1996), no. 290. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 28 July 2013 On a level area of a low rise (H 168m), in rough mountain pasture; stream nearby to NW. Excellent views of Ballaghbeama Gap to NW and Kealduff River valley to S. A smooth and fractured, earthfast sandstone rock (dims. 0.90m N-S; 1.15m E-W; max. H 0.55m), which has a triangular decorated surface (dims. 0.75m N-S; 1.15m E-W) with a N-facing aspect. The rock art is very faint and is evenly distributed across the decorated surface, although the main motifs occupy a central area (dims. 0.11m N-S; 0.18m E-W) upon the surface. The main motifs consist of a cupmark (diam. 2.5cm; D 3mm) and a cup-and-one ring (diam. 10cm), which has a cupmark (diam. 2.5cm; D 4mm) and a picked ring groove (Wth 1cm; D 3mm). There are approximately twenty-six pickmarks of varying sizes (diam. 4, 7 and 10mm) etched across the decorated surface. There is a small area of vegetation and sod at ground level along N-side of the surface, which may obscure other decorated motifs. Rock art site (KE082-072----) is c. 8m to NE. Rock outcrop and boulders all around to SW->N->NE. Compiled by: Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly Date of upload: 8 March 2017

Likely dating to the Neolithic or Bronze Age, the rock art may have held symbolic or ritual significance, possibly relating to landscape features or territorial markers. Its position overlooking a key gap suggests it could have been associated with movement routes or local folklore tied to the surrounding terrain.

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