What is recorded here

Two stones faced each other across six metres of West Cork pasture, one still upright and one broken into the grass. They marked a line along which sunlight and shadow may have moved, while people watched the sea or herded cattle past the Kealincha river. The fallen stone keeps its socket exposed, a hollow proof that even forgotten places once held their shape.

On level pasture some 90m N of Kealincha river, in hinterland of Coulagh Bay. O'Brien (1970, 18, no. 92) records both stones upright. Stone to SE (L 1.9m; 0.7m x 0.6m) now lies prostrate; socket visible at NW end. Second stone (H 1.05m; 0.9m x 0.75m) stands 5.85m to NW. Stones were aligned along NE-SW line. (O Nualláin 1988, 251, no. 167) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 1: West Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1992). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009

Probably dating to the Late Neolithic or Bronze Age, the pair may have served as boundary markers, ritual monuments, or astronomical alignments. Local folklore sometimes associates such stones with ancient heroes or supernatural beings, though specific traditions for this site are not recorded.

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.