What is recorded here

Doagh Isle rock art in Magheranaul, County Donegal, preserves a large cupmark with a complete ring, six groove sets, a cartouche of eight parallel lines and a western row of eighteen grooves. The rock slopes gently south, guiding the eye across a pattern dense enough to suggest measurement, ceremony or boundary marking. Whoever cut those lines worked patiently on wet stone, making a place where attention itself became the offering.

Described by Van Hoek as 'Only partially illustrated in DAS [Donegal Archaeological Survey] is one of the best examples of rock art designs of Doagh Isle. It features a large cupmark with one complete ring surrounded by six sets of parallel grooves in a complicated pattern. The tail from the large cupmark is one of the eight parallel grooves which are enclosed by a cartouche. West of this is a row of 18 parallel grooves. North of the cup and ring are three more sets, one of eight grooves (some connected to other engravings), the second of seven grooves all touching other grooves), and the third consisting of two groups of three and two short parallel grooves. In the NE corner of the rock there is a single small cupmark. The rock slopes 11 degrees to the S (DAS No. 656, fig. 39B; Weir 1980, 130) (fig. 7C)' (Van Hoek 1987, 34). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload/revision: : 30 May 2010

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