What is recorded here

Knockbaun holds a standing stone, but the exact site has slipped from human memory. Daniel O'Byrne wrote in 1856 that eight pillar stones at Cleanagh marked a famous battle fought in a very remote age. The stones may have been broken, buried or simply forgotten, yet the idea of a battle line waiting beneath ordinary ground still haunts County Laois.

Unlocated standing stones described by Daniel O'Byrne in his History of the Queens County where he describes 'At Cleanagh, in the parish of Dysart Gallen or Ballinakill, are eight pillar stones marking the line of a famous battel fought in a very remote age' (O'Byrne 1856, 16). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 17 December 2007

Likely dating to the Bronze Age, the standing stone in Knockbaun may have functioned as a boundary marker or ritual monument. Such stones often held spiritual significance and could be associated with local folklore or territorial demarcation.

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