Anomalous stone group in Colvinstown Upper

Situated on rising ground in upland area below the summit of Kilranelagh Hill with cairn (WI027-035----) 220m to S and hillfort (WI027-097----) 350m to SSE. In area of modern forestry overlooking Kilranelagh church (WI027-034001-) and graveyard (WI027-034002-) 210m to W. On the hillside there are a group of approximately 20 large quartz boulders (H 1.5m) that are white in colour and are known locally as 'The White Stones'. The boulders cover an area approx. 80m x 30m. The stones may be a natural or geological feature which became a prominent landmark in the medieval cultural landscape of the region. In 1947 Liam Price wrote the following description about the stones on the side of Kilranelagh Hill; 'Drove to the angle of the road between Cloghnagaune and Kilranelagh S of Spinans Bridge, and walked up the old roadway leading to the graveyard. As one drives through Eadestown one sees the white stones on the side of Kilranelagh Hill and coming along the road to Spinans Bridge they are very conspicuous, a group of white stones together on the NW slope of the hill. I do not know any other hill with a group of white stones like this on it. Just before coming to the graveyard I turned to the left and crossed the fence into Colvinstown Upper, E of the ruined cottages, and went up the hill. The white stones are big blocks of white quartz: there is a scattered outcrop of white quartz here (about 100ft above the 1000ft contour) and some loose blocks, all fairly close together. Above this on the skyline I saw what looked like a cairn [WI027-035----], and on getting to it I found it was a ruined cairn of stones' (Corlett and Weaver 2002, 461). These stones may be the same feature described in 1930 as following; 'He also pointed out some white stones on the N slopes of Kilranelagh Hill and said they were called "the Griddle Stones", and there were kings buried there' (ibid. 85). This latter reference may relate to the stone circle (WI027-039----) at Boleycarrigeen. Michael Russell has suggested that these stones were possibly the same stones known in medieval Ireland as the 'Cows of Aife'. The saga of the historical cycle in early Middle Irish, known as Fingal Rónáin recounts the tale about how Rónán mac Aeda, King of Leinster killed his only son, Máel-Fhothartaig. The saga contains the following passage which refers to these stones; ‘Go then tomorrow,’ said Congal, ‘and hunt at the Cows of Aife.'’ (The ‘Cows of Aife’ are stones which are on the side of the mountain.) They are like white cows from afar. ‘Go and hunt there. And the woman shall send her mistress to a tryst with us, and I will put her from you.’ ‘It shall be done,’ said her mistress to her' (Meyer 1892, 378-80). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien based on details provided by Michael Russell Date of upload: 25 June 2020