Rock art in Letter West

This rock outcrop is located in an area of cutaway bog, 1.2m deep, on the E slopes of Beenmore and S of a stream which flows to the Behy river from Coomnacronia Lake. The decorated surface, triangular in shape, measures 4m x 2m and features a network of areas defined by grooves, some of which skirt the edge of the rock. Within these areas are at least nineteen cupmarks and three cup-and-rings. The well-preserved decoration is lightly executed. See attached drawing of rock art taken from O'Sullivan and Sheehan 1996, Fig. 47 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. 350. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 28 July 2013 In area of cutaway bog, on a gentle N-facing slope (204m OD), just below Coomnacronia Lake and overlooking the Behy River valley to NE. Located centrally between two parallel turf banks (long axis NE-SW; H 1.2-1.6m). A smooth and fractured, sandstone rock (dims. 1.9m N-S; 3.60m E-W; max. H 0.10m at E), which has a triangular-shaped decorated surface (dims. 1.9m N-S; 2.90m E-W) and a gentle W-facing aspect. The motifs are well defined, but surface is becoming eroded by weathering including freeze/thaw action. There are nineteen cupmarks (diam. 4-9cm; D 5-9mm) distributed across the decorated surface. There are two cup-and-one ring motifs at the E-side of the decorated surface: The larger cup-and-ring motif (dims. 20cm E-W; 18 N-S) has a cupmark (diam. 9cm; D 10cm) and a ring (Wth 2-3cm; D 4mm). The individual pickmarks defining this motif are clearly visible and it has a square (as opposed to circular) appearance. The smaller cup-and-ring motif (diam. 11cm) is located at the extreme E-side of decorated surface and has a cupmark (diam. 5cm; D 5mm) and ring (Wth 1cm; D 3mm). A series of linear grooves (Wth 2cm; D 4-5mm) are present across the stone surface, as per O’Sullivan & Sheehan (1996, 83; Figure 47 (a). Moss is encroaching around margins of decorated surface S->W->NW. There are a number of motifs currently under moss and water at NW corner and along margin S->W that were visible during a 1996 survey but not during current field inspection (ibid). Compiled by: Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly Date of upload: 2 March 2017