Rock art in Cahernaman

In very wet boggy ground in rough terrain which has been partially cleared by machine, the lichen encrusted upper surface of sandstone boulder (H. (up to) 1.2m high) which is squarish in plan (1.9m x 1.7m, its long axis NE/SW), is inscribed with weathered rock art motifs which are very faint and largely obscured by lichen. They include a cup-and-ring motif and lines of picking (Wth. 0.1–0.3m, D. 2– 4mm). The whole of the upper surface is marked by naturally occurring shallow NE/SW running cracks, the S half of this upper surface separated from the lower N half by a shallow step (H. c. 0.03m) running across its length. Carvings occur on either side of this step. N of the step, running perpendicular to the step, are four roughly equidistant parallel grooves c. 0.3m long and some 0.02m apart. A cup-and-ring motif having a cupmark (diam, 0.06m, D. 10mm) enclosed by a squarish ring (diam. 0.16m, D. 4mm, Wth. 0.01–0.02m) is found between the groove closest to NE and the second groove. A very shallow cupmark defined by a solidly picked circle of picking (diam. 0.05m, D. 3mm), is located between this second groove and the next groove at SW. While these grooves can be traced for c. 0.03m, photogrammetry shows that at least one of these lines (the line at the NE extente) continues from the step for a further c. 0.3m further than the initial 0.3m while the groove next to this continues to the lower section at S. Picked lines (L. c. 0.12m) run to within 0.38m of the SW edge of the upper surface. S of the central step towards the NE edge and SW of an amorphous area of picking (c. 0.35m NW/SE x 0.12m NE/SW), 4 lines conjoin a long narrow sub-rectangular shaped ‘ring’ (0.4m NW/SE x 0.08m NE/SW), the N extent of this which is partly formed by a natural crack which continues beyond the ring to the edge at NE. One of the lines extends from the crack N to the step, another extends SW (traceable for approx. 0.3m) where it partly encloses a cupmark (diam. 0.055m, D. 10mm) and a third line (a continuation of the NE side of the enclosing line) continues to within 0.08cm of the edge at E at which point it widens from 0.01m to 0.03m and continues to the edge, partly enclosing a cupmark (diam. 0.06m, D. 0.01) which is truncated by the panel’s edge. The fourth line, a continuation from the N half of the panel of the second groove from the NE edge, runs roughly parallel to the step before meeting the crack forming the N part of the sub-rectangular ring. To SW, there are two irregular shaped clusters of picking (c. 0.08m x 0.03m, D. 4mm) and curvilinear lines of picking which also extend to the edge. Towards the SW corner, two equi-sized parallel oblong-shaped depressions (0.08m x 0.03m), are 0.04m apart. 6+ pickmarks (diam. 3mm, D. 3mm) are visible around the rim of a one of two cupmarks (diam. 0.06m, D. 0.12) NE of these depressions. The level surface of a second larger boulder to S appears to be devoid of carving. Dingle Bay is visible to NNW.