Bullaun stone in Mota

Situated atop low rock outcrop in wet partially reclaimed pasture with stream immediately to W of site. Area of rock outcrop with some low orthostats protruding above the surface of the ground forming a small circular area or cairn with a single oak tree rising from the centre of the monument which has a cross carved into the bark to commemorate the childrens burial ground (TN009-068----). Embedded into the base of this tree there is a small granite bullaun stone with quartz inclusions and is very similar to the bullaun stones that originally came from the townland of Carrigagown North (TN009-065----). It is possible that this is the site of an earlier monument possibly some form of church site from which the bullaun stone originated and was later re-used as a children's burial ground in the 19th and 20th centuries. Known locally as 'The Fairy Rath of Mota' and the bullaun stone was known locally as a ‘holy water font’ which might suggest that this was a cashel or stone fort reused as a children's burial ground. In 1937 Moira Carroll of Brookfield, and a pupil in Killadangan National School collected the following story about this monument; ‘The fairy rath of Mota is situated in the townsland of Mota, near the public road, one and a half miles from the village of Coolbawn. There is a beautiful stream running beside the rath and also some large white-thorn trees. There is a hollowed stone in the rath, which is supposed to be used as a holy water font, as it is believed that Mass was said there in the Penal days. One day there was a man named Paddy the Nailer passing by the Rath and he heard beautiful music but the tune had a straight air, and the mane knew the tune and he whistled it in such a beautiful manner that the Kind of fairies sent out to know who he was. They told him that it was a little man with a hump on his back. The King told the fairies to take the hump off his back and make him straight. This man told the story to the rest of the people. When a man named Mick Kane heard this, he said he should go and whistle the tune too, as he had a hump on his back also, so he set off and when he reached the Rath the fairies were singing. He thought the hump would be taken of his back if he whistled the tune, as he was a very bad whistler, he spoiled the beautiful tune. The King sent out word to know who spoiled their nice tune, the fairies told him that it was a big man with a hump on his back. The King ordered them to take the hump they took off Paddy the Nailer and put it on Mick Keane's back with the other hump. The old people of this district ascertain this story to be true as their parents knew Mick Keane with the two humps on his back’ (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0533, Pages 521-3; https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922134/4855323/5012477). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien. Date of upload: 22 September 2008