Giants Head Stone — Giantsgrave

On the summit of a hill, at the highest point in the vicinity. S of cross-pillar is under pasture, area N of stone is planted with young conifers. In the Civil Survey (1654-6) there is a reference to 'the stones standing, upon the sd hill to the lands of Rathduffe' (Simington 1931, vol. 1, 297). This refers to at least one standing stone in Rathduff townland, part of which appears to have become Giantsgrave townland. In Lewis' topographical dictionary (1837, 508) he refers to an upright stone at Giant's Grave which is 'about eight feet [2.4m] high above the ground, on which two crosses are sculptured; that on one side of the stone is in raised relief, that on the other in bas relief'. Again the stone and two crosses are described in the OS Letters (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 1, 51-2) at which time there was 'a small piece of land left untilled about this stone measuring eighteen feet [5.5m] from east to west and seven feet [2m] from north to south'. According to the OS Letters the hill was called 'An Cnoc Air a bhFuair Fionn Fios i.e., the hill on which Finn (Mac Cumhaill) received his (prophetic) knowledge, and the Townland is called An Chloch Fhada i.e., the Long Stone, in Irish, and Giant's Grave in English' (ibid.). Another local legend claimed that the stone was cast from the top of Slievenamon by a giant to its present position (White 1892, 28), while another tradition asserted that the stone was erected to mark the grave of some Ulstermen who fell in a sortie during the siege of Clonmel (Power 1908, 5). Cross-inscribed pillar stone (H 2.74m), aligned NW-SE, composed of sandstone and inscribed with a cross on both broad faces. That on the SW face is in relief, with circles hollowed out in the angles and a circular knob surmounting the triangular apex of the head. There is a blank panel above this. The other cross, on the NE face, approximately half way up the stone, is sunken with a central bosse. This face has split on the W side. A concrete wall (H 1.04m) now encloses the pillar stone, and is a maximum distance of 1.05m from the stone. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 26 August 2011