What is recorded here

Kealduff Upper holds two pairs of parallel grooves cut into exposed rock, marking one of the oldest designed surfaces in County Kerry. The lines traverse a low hillock above the River Behy valley, where wind and time have softened their edges but never erased their intent. A person stood here in darkness or dawn, pressing a tool or point into stone to make rhythm visible. That simple act turned raw mountain into a place where human thought could be touched.

Two pairs of lightly pocked, parallel grooves traverse this exposed section of rock. See attached drawing of rock art taken from O'Sullivan and Sheehan 1996, Fig. 63 (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. 341. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. In mountain heath (150m), on a low hillock, on a general NE-facing slope; good views all around especially N->E->SE overlooking the River Behy valley. Not located. According to O’Sullivan & Sheehan (1996, 101), ‘two pairs of lightly pocked, parallel grooves traverse this exposed section of rock’ (ibid, 98; Fig. 63e). Compiled by: Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly Date of upload: 5 July 2017

Likely dating to the Neolithic or Bronze Age, the parallel grooves may represent symbolic or ritual markings, possibly connected to territorial boundaries, ceremonial practices, or early forms of record-keeping. Interpretations of such motifs often include references to agricultural cycles or ancestral traditions in local folklore.

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