Standing stone

The OS Letters (1839) refer to the southern ringfort (KK008-042----) in the townland of Rathosheen, which, 'is said to have been the burial place of that Hero-Bard. His grave was marked in it by two upright stones at several years distance but the place was dug up several years ago by money dreamers and the stones carried away by some wicked man who had not the fear of Oisinn or the fairies before his eyes, but he died since, tho' not very old! I could wish he had gone before he disturbed my old friends bones. Nothing remains now to mark the grave but a circular hollow in the south western part of the Rath' (O’Flanagan (ed.) 1930, 118-19 (40)). Being located within a ringfort these cannot be prehistoric standing stones, unless the enclosure is not a ringfort. However, as standing stones most accurately reflects what is described in the OS letters, the classification has been retained. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 23 January 2018

Probably dating to the Early Christian or Iron Age period, the pair of standing stones may mark the grave of a hero-bard, reflecting a tradition of commemorating individuals of cultural or legendary significance. Such stones could also have had ritual or territorial functions in prehistoric society.