What is recorded here

Twenty faint cupmarks and ringed cups still mark a smooth sandstone boulder beside a disused Kerry track. They face east and north, small enough to fit within a outstretched hand, yet large enough to have required patience, tool and intention. The completed rings, broken rings and double cup-and-ring suggest a place where marking repeated, compared and changed. Above the valley and the distant gap, that patient surface still holds the shape of human attention.

Forming part of the surface of the disused roadway is a section of rock outcrop, measuring 1.25m x 1.15m, which slopes gently upwards to E. The weathered markings are for the most part confined to the E side of the rock, and comprise eighteen cupmarks, four cup-and-rings and three cup-and-gapped rings. A small area of pocking occurs close to the N edge of the rock. The dominant view from this location is to NW, towards Ballaghbeama Gap. The above description is derived from A. O'Sullivan and J. Sheehan (compilers), 'The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of South Kerry'. Cork University Press (1996), no. 286. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 28 July 2013 In upland heath pasture, on level area of a S-facing slope (168m OD), overlooking Kealduff River valley to S and Ballaghbeama Gap to NW. Located on S-side of old trackway (long axis WNW-ESE). A smooth and fractured sandstone boulder (dims. c. 1.1m NE-SW; 1.0m NW-SE; max. H 0.3m) which has a roughly diamond-shaped decorated surface (dims. 0.9m N-S; 1.1m E-W) with a W-facing aspect. The rock art is very faint and concentrated to the E and N areas of the stone surface. The motifs consist of twenty cupmarks (diam. 3-6cm, D 5-9mm) of varying sizes; nine cup-and-one ring (diam. 10-11cm) with cupmark (diam. 4-5cm; D 6-7mm) and ring (Wth 1.5cm; D 3mm) one of which is a cup and partial ring. A double cup-and-one ring (dims. 19cm N-S; 17.5cm E-W) having cupmarks (diam. 3.5cm; D 4mm) and a ring groove (Wth 1.5cm; D 3mm). there are frequent pickmarks (diam. 3-4mm) located near the double cup-and-ring and some pockmarks (diam. 5-6mm) concentrated toward the N-side. A roughly L-shaped across the SW-half of the decorated surface, may be man-made. Compiled by: Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly Date of upload: 8 March 2017

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