Rock art in Magheranaul

Described by Van Hoek as 'In the large field where once the sites DON 23 and 24 (DG004-065----; DG004-066001/002-/003-/004-) (now destroyed), and just W of the eastern wall of the field, is a flat sheet of outcrop rock, sloping 10 degrees S. It has been quarried away at its eastern edge to form a ditch, and at its W side by the construction works which presumably also destroyed DON 23 and 24 (DG004-065/066). On this outcrop are at least 9 single cupmarks, some rather small, plus a number of possibly natural pittings. There is also a cup and one complete ring with a faint groove leading from the ring; and five cups each with two rings. Four of the designe merit separate description. I shall describe them in order from S to N. (1) The most southerly design consists of a central cup plus two concentric rings; each ring has a gap on the SE; on each side of the gap a short line (or 'tail') joins the inner to the outer ring, forming a sort of keyhole pattern; there may also be a short 'tail' extending SE-wards from the central cup. (2) To the N of this design again with central cup lust two concentric rings; the inner ring is complete, but there is a gap in the outer ring at the SE; on each side of the gap, a short line (or 'tail') extends from the inner ring and out beyond the outer ring, again forming a sort of keyhole pattern; the more northerly of the 'tails' was perhaps extended by a line which runs Eastwards, just S of an isolated cup and two rigns. In both of these two 'keyhole' designs, there is an unusually large space between the central cup and the inner ring. Northwards from (2) across a crack, are two further designs: (3) at the NW is a cup with two complete rings around it, and with three short parallel grooves at its NE; (4) at the NE is a large, deep cup surrounded by two close spaced rings and with a band of decoration extending SW towards (2). In (4) both rings have a gap at the SW, this gap is flanked on the S by a long, irregular but clearly carved 'tail' which extends out from the central cup, the gap is flanked on the N by a much fainter groove, which extends out only from the outer ring and runs more or less parallel to the 'tail' on the S side. These two grooves extend SW-wards from 94) towards (2); in the 'passage' between the grooves are several more carved motifs (a small dot; a partial cup-and-ring; and ten short, parallel grooves, very faint). Scattered in this area, outside the 'passage' are what may be further short, carved grooves. Apart from the cup and two rings of (4), all the carvings are very much weathered' (Van Hoek 1988, 47). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload/revision: : 30 May 2010