Rock shelter in Coad

This rock shelter consists of two main sections - the front section is open to SE, only a low stone wall surviving to one course high partly enclosing this section. A second section to the rear is enclosed save for an opening to the sky at NE and a narrow crawl space leading from the front section. Most of the shelter is roofed by one massive boulder (rectangular in plan, area. c.20m²) which slopes steeply up towards N from near ground level at S. Deposits of periwinkle shells as well as some limpet shells are found in the recesses of each section. These are believed to be associated with the family who lived here in the post-famine era. Incised COMBS style carvings (COMBS carvings as described by Shee Twohig 2004) are found on a large boulder partly enclosing the rear section at NE, further marks also found on a low bench-like boulder in this section. Incised COMBS style carvings are also found in the front section on the SW facing side of one of the stones supporting the roof stone, this stone located towards the NE end of this section. The front section of the shelter faces the Kerry Way which is less than 100m SE across treacherously boggy terrain, much of the ground soft where it is saturated. As the roof stone slopes steeply down to ground level at its S end, there is little standing room within the shelter, the area around midway down its length measuring little more than 1m in height. With the help of torchlight, incised marks were identified on the SW face of a boulder supporting the roof stone towards its NE extent. They include COMBS style carvings, some lines intersecting each other at 90º angles, two abutting rectangular shapes enclosing incised lines and a faint TV antenna-like motif consisting of a series of parallel grooves of equal length intersected at an angle of 90º along their midpoint by a long groove. Faint lines may have been superimposed by incised grooves. The rear section is almost totally enclosed, accessible only via an opening to the sky at NE, around part of which is a low wall made of slabs of rock. From inside the shelter, the pointed tip of a 6m high natural rock NE of the shelter is visible through this opening. The rear section is up to 2m high at its N end but narrow where it is highest, its height tapering to ground level at S where it is widest. A sherd of modern terra cotta pottery and some pieces of thick black glass and at least three separate deposits of shells are found among the rocks and earth on the ground. COMBS style marks are incised on the SW face of a boulder partly enclosing the shelter at NE. The inscribed portion of the boulder measures 1.4m long x 1m wide and comprises about half of the boulder’s SW face. The other half extends towards the front section of the shelter. Obscured from view by other rocks, it does not appear to bear any carvings. The incised marks include a segmented hexagon; boxed intersecting lines; a boxed asterisk; a ladder-like motif; a ring enclosing incised lines; a TV antenna-like motif; a triangle with a downward pointing apex within which are six lines running parallel to its left side; other single and intersecting grooves and a slightly curving fine line. There are also pickmarks, some isolated and others in clusters. Some horizontal lines appear to be superimposed by well-defined deeply scored grooves which may be tool sharpening marks. The hexagonal motif (Wth 13cm) is one of the better-defined and more prominent motifs. With sides of varying lengths, lines extend from or near each corner of the hexagon to the centre of the motif to create six unequal-sized segments. Other incised lines in this motif include two lines which subdivide the bottom segment into three sections. The hexagonal motif encloses a smaller hexagon which is close to the centre of the motif, the line forming the base of this smaller hexagon only faintly traceable. Close to the edge of the boulder (at left) are three sets of clearly defined initials (MM, MOC and JM) and what may be a date reading 1744 or 1794. Grooves and indentations on a low bench-like boulder about midway down this section appear to be the by-product of something other than carving. Some marks which were not in existence on an earlier visit, probably made in the summer of 2020, consist of some erased marks as well as letters spelling something like DB and WEX. They superimpose some of the incised carvings on the boulder at NE and are also found on a boulder towards the S extent of this section. Compiled by: Aoibheann Lambe Date of upload: 9 November 2021