Ogham stone in Brackloon (corkaguiny By.)

It is possible that the univallate rath (KE045-081---- situated on a W facing slope, in undulating pasture land at the base of Knockafeehane mountain) was the find-place of the Brackloon ogham stone though the evidence is not altogether clear (Macalister 1945, 166-7). Hitchcock discovered the stone acting as a chimney-breast in a cottage in Ballintermon and was informed that it had been found in the souterrain of a rath in a field called Páirc an Leasa in Brackloon townland. There are 2 known raths in this townland. Hitchcock was informed that the one from which the ogham stone came had been levelled and this rath corresponds more closely to that description than does Lisnagrave (KE045-060----). The field in which this rath is located is known locally as Páirc na Claishe, not Páirc an Leasa, but it is possible that Hitchcock confused the 2 names. The confusion is increased by the fact that Windele (1848, 385-6) was informed that the stone came from a rath in Ballintermon townland. The present whereabouts of the stone is not known. All but 1 letter of the inscription were chipped off to prepare the stone as a chimney-breast. The pieces were presented by Hitchcock to the Royal Irish Academy but were subsequently lost or mislaid. The main stone, with its single letter, was later broken up for walling (Macalister 1897, 53). In 1891 this fragment of an ogham stone was found on a fence in Brackloon townland and it was suggested that this was part of the same stone. It was for some time in the grounds of Ballinagroun House, near Inch but is now in Músaem Chorca Dhuibhne, Baile an Fheirtéaraigh, Co. Chiarraí (see KE042-173----). The inscription reads: (MA)QI MUCC(OI). Macalister also suggested that the Annagap ogham stone (KE044-065001) may have been a part of the same stone, but this now seems unlikely. (Cuppage 1986, no. 352) Compiled by: Nora White Date of upload: 19 January 2017