Rock art in Derrynablaha

This weathered, lichen-covered, rounded boulder measures 1.4m x 1.1m x 1m high. On its downward sloping SW face are eight simple cupmarks, a cup-and-radial groove, a cup-and-ring and a short curved line (Finlay 1973, 86). See attached drawing of rock art taken from O'Sullivan and Sheehan 1996, Fig. 54 (e) 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. 316. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 28 July 2013 In rough pasture, at top of grass covered knoll (105m OD); recent trackway cut around base of knoll to S. Tributaries of Kealduff River to N and S. Very rough and fractured, sandstone boulder (dims. 1.43m N-S; 1.08m E-W; H 1.0m) with a sub-rectangular decorated surface (dims. 0.6m N-S; 0.55m E-W) having an SW-facing aspect. The motifs consist of seven cupmarks of varying sizes with very distinct examples (diam. 3.5cm; D 11mm) and some shallower yet still obvious examples (diam. 3cm; D 5mm); one half cupmark (Wth 4cm; D 5mm); one cup-and-one ring (total diam. c. 9cm), having a cupmark (diam. 3.5cm; D 4mm) and ring (Wth 1cm; D 2mm). The cupmarks are distinct whereas the cup-and-ringmark is faint. A larger boulder is located c. 3m to SSE of the rock art example. Compiled by: Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly Date of upload: 8 March 2017

Likely dating to the Neolithic or Bronze Age, this rock art may have had ritual or symbolic significance, possibly linked to water or landscape features. Cup-and-ring motifs are commonly associated with ceremonial or territorial marking in prehistoric Atlantic Europe.