M.S.

At the entrance to Coole Park, in a grassy verge on the W side of the R458. This milestone, named ‘M.S.’ on the 1922 edition of the OS 6-inch map and shown on the E side of the road (ITM 545057, 704269) has been moved c. 65m to the NW and is now on the opposite side of the road. It consists of a dressed flat-topped trapezoidal-shaped limestone pillar (H 0.82m; Wth 0.3m at front, 0.36m at rear; D 0.36m) with a narrow chamfer to the front angles. The OS bird’s foot benchmark is deeply inscribed on the top of it. The inscription on the front face reads ‘16 from Galway’. In recent years it was picked out in white paint, traces of which still remain. Slight spalling is evident on the upper right and left angles and very heavy spalling has occurred at the rear (O’Sullivan 2021, No. 2). The heavy spalling is the result of a celebratory bonfire being set against the stone some years ago (Cunniffe 2016). The milestone is one of nine in the area, see also GA122-098----, GA122-148----, GA113-189----, GA113-217----, GA113-218----, GA103-217----, GA103-218---- and GA103-219----). (McManus 2022, 11-12, No. 2) Compiled by: Olive Alcock Updated by: Olive Alcock Date of revised upload: 18 April 2023 Cunniffe, C. 2016 Coole Park milestone. Available at: https://field-monuments.galwaycommunityheritage.org/content/archaeology/mile-stone/coole-park-milestone last accessed 17 April 2023. McManus, G. 2022 Nine 18th-century milestones on the 'Old Galway Road' from Gort to Galway. Unpublished specialist report, Ardrahan Heritage Group. O'Sullivan, J. 2021 Nine 18th-century milestones on the 'Old Galway Road'. Unpublished specialist report, Ardrahan Heritage Group.