What is recorded here

Half a metre above pasture, a broad sandstone boulder lies flat beneath gorse and lichen, its surface pocked with at least ten small cup marks and one cup surrounded by a thin ring. Someone stood there in a time before written record, cutting or striking circles into stone while Kenmare bay glittered beyond Cnoc na Saulagh. The marks are shallow enough that rain, hoof traffic and forgotten hands may have softened them, yet they remain visible enough to count. A place for noticing, marking and remembering, hidden in plain sight above the Kerry Way.

In rough pasture above the Kerry Way between Coad and Caherdaniel. Good views of Cnoc na Saulagh, beyond which are Kenmare bay and the Beara Peninsula. Earthfast sandstone boulder (L 3m NE-SW x Wth 1.3m NW-SE x H 0.42m) with a lichen encrusted, largely level upper surface which is partially covered by gorse at its SW corner. At least ten cup-marks (Diam. 0.02–0.1m) are visible as small roughly circular-shaped hollows on the upper surface of the boulder, with possibly more under the vegetation. A cup (diam. 0.04m) and ring (diam. 0.08m) motif is visible at the eastern corner of the north-west quadrant of the boulder. This monument was initially identified by Joyce Tansey and recorded by Aoibheann Lambe during her work for the LIVE project (www.ecomuseumlive.eu) - LIVE has received funding from the European Regional Development Fund through its Ireland-Wales cooperation program. See attached photographs courtesy of Aoibheann Lambe Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien based on details provided by Aoibheann Lambe Date of upload: 2 August 2022

Likely dating to the Neolithic or Bronze Age, this rock art may have had ritual or territorial significance, possibly linked to landscape features such as Cnoc na Saulagh or the surrounding coastal views. No specific folklore is recorded for the site.

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.