Standing stone in Cloghnamanagh

Possible standing stone known locally as 'Cloghnamanagh' in the parish of Fedamore that was described in 1942-3 as following; 'This stone is a large rounded boulder of conglomerate. It is 4' [1.2m] wide and has a maximum thickness of 3' 6" [1.07m]. It is called Cloghnamanagh. I could find no buildings, but there is a disused sand pit, the irregularities of which may have been mistaken for walls' (O'Kelly 1942-3, 224). Large rounded conglomerate boulder (H 1.05m x Wth 1.55m x T 0.65m) known locally as 'Cloghnamanagh' (Cloch na Manach/stone of the monks) appears to have been removed from the location recorded in 1942 and now standing in S quadrant of disused sand-pit or quarry, 80m to E of location marked on RMP map. In 1826 it was recorded that at 'Cloch na Monach or Monk's Stone, where are the remains of some ancient buildings, but of their date or founder we have no trace' (Fitzgerald 1826, 299). No trace of these buildings could be found by the Ordnance Survey when John O'Donovan recorded the following details; 'Cloghnamanagh, Cloch na Manach, that is Monk's Stone or Stone of the Monks, i.e. Lapis Monachorum, is the name of a Townland in this parish in which, no buildings are noted in the Name Book as being situated' (OSL Fedamore Parish; O'Flanagan 1929, 108). Compiled and revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 22 March 2022

Likely dating to the Neolithic or Bronze Age, this standing stone may have had ritual or territorial significance. Local names and descriptions suggest it could be associated with early farming communities or later Celtic folklore traditions.