Anomalous stone group in Cullaun

National Monument No. 353. There are twenty-one standing stones in Cullaun Td., three of which have collapsed with an additional possible collapsed stone or rock outcrop. Also within this complex there is a megalithic folly consisting of a rounded boulder or roughout for a millstone resting on three small boulders. This megalithic structure was placed within a stone circle; only six of at least thirteen stones of the circle are now standing. A map published in the Ikerrin Survey (Stout 1984, 19), showing the distribution of standing stones, shows a total of 28 standing stones surviving and 14 removed. The stones range in height from 0.65m to 1.6m, usually have a rectangular plan and have no common alignment. A sample of these standing stones were recorded in detail: 1. Situated off the brow of a NNW-SSE ridge on a gentle SW-facing slope in undulating pasture-land with rock outcrop. The stone is just inside a gate, adjacent to the road. It is of sandstone, much split and weathered and is aligned on a NNW-SSE axis rising to the apex at SE. It is roughly rectangular in plan (H 0.65m; 0.53m x 0.26m) and rests on a grassy hummock with no evidence of packing-stones. A long, rectangular prostrate boulder (0.8m x 0.32m) lies immediately NNW of the site. 2. Situated on the SW slope of a NW-SE ridge, in undulating pasture-land with rock outcrop. A standing stone composed of sandstone with quartz inclusions, rectangular in plan (0.66m x 0.34m), aligned NE-SW with the apex to the SW. The base of the NW face spurs out by c. 0.15m and the top of the SE face is fractured into a stepped profile due to weathering. A grassy hummock has grown around the base of the stone and this has been hollowed out due to cattle erosion. 3. Situated on a gentle W-facing slope in undulating pasture-land. Another standing stone is visible on the brow of a hillock to SSW. This stone, a conglomerate sandstone and quartz stone with tiny flecks of mica, has a blocky base, almost square in plan (H 1.6m; 0.54m x 0.5m), aligned E-W and coming to an apex at E. The upper half is narrower and the stone is split on both flat surfaces. It is surrounded at the base by a grassy hummock which cattle have trampled. 4. Situated on a break in a gradual W-facing slope in undulating terrain. Other standing stones visible c. 30m to N (3) and also to SSE (5). A standing stone of sandstone with quartz and mica inclusions, rectangular in plan (H 1.37; 0.51m x 0.38m) and aligned N-S with its apex to N. 5. Situated on ground sloping gently to the S in undulating terrain; bedrock is exposed around the immediate base of the standing stone to the N and E. This stone is aligned N-S with the apex to the N but it appears to have split leaving a false top. The base is quite rectangular in plan (H 1.16m; 0.51m x 0.48m). Composed of sandstone with some mica. 6. Situated in a slight hollow on a very gradual W-facing slope in undulating pasture. Other standing stones are visible c. 100m to SE and c. 200m to SW and W. A stone wall in the immediate vicinity may be preventing intervisibility with other sites. The stone appears to have naturally split in two; loose stones around the base appear to be fragments of the standing stone. It is rectangular in plan (H 0.96m; 0.41m x 0.29m), aligned E-W and is composed of sandstone and mica. 7. Situated on a break in a SW-facing slope in very undulating pasture. Other standing stones are visible c. 100m to N, c. 60m to E, to SSW and SW and a ringfort (18:13) is visible to SW. This stone is rectangular in plan (H 0.95m; 0.55m x 0.26 which narrows to 0.11m to S), aligned N-S with its apex to N. It is of sandstone with a few small quartz pebble inclusions. 8. Situated on a SSW slope off the crest of a NW-SE ridge. A number of standing stones are visible to the SE, SW, and W-WSW; no. 7 is c. 60m to the W. A weathered rectangular block composed of sandstone with a lot of quartz pebble inclusions. A number of stones at the base appear to have split from the standing stone. It has a rectangular base plan (H 1.55m; 0.72m x 0.26 which narrows to 0.19m to S). In 2002 archaeological monitoring by Anne-Marie Lennon on all ground disturbance near this site revealed nothing of archaeological interest. This monitoring was carried out under Licence No. 02E1125 (Bennett 2004, 476). Irish Grid Ref. of monitoring 21944/18391. The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary. Vol. 1 - North Tipperary' compiled by Jean Farrelly and Caimin O'Brien (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 22 September 2008