Rock art in Gortbrack

Located in low-lying land just N of the confluence of the Blackwater and Kealduff rivers, this slab measures .9m x .65m x .35m high. It now lies outside a farmhouse, but was originally located some 300m further N. It is decorated with a cupmark and a cup-and-two rings with a radial line. 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. 328. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 28 July 2013 This is an ex-situ rock art stone, having been moved from a nearby field to a private dwelling plot. Currently located on a grassy margin and defining NE side of driveway to private dwelling house (93m OD). A smooth and fractured sandstone boulder (dims. 0.65m NE-SW; 0.83m NW-SE; max. H 0.33m) having a flat, subrectangular decorated surface (dims. 0.50m N-S; 0.50m E-W). The motifs consist of a cup-and-ring motif (overall diam. 12cm; ring Wth 1-1.5cm; D 1-2mm; cup diam. 6cm; D 10mm) located at SW edge of stone. The ring is extremely faint and is incomplete, where it abuts edge of stone. A cup-and-two-ring motif (overall diam. 17cm; ring Wth 1-2cm; D 4mm; cup diam. 7cm; D 18mm) is 11m to E; A short groove (L 7cm; Wth 1.5cm; D 4mm) extends from cupmark at SW. A post and wire fence is adjacent to N and an undecorated boulder is adjacent to NW. Compiled by: Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly Date of upload: 6 July 2017

This rock art slab is likely from the Neolithic or Bronze Age period, based on its style and context. The symbols may have had ritual or territorial significance, though specific meaning or folklore associated with the site is not recorded.